River Doce: Water As an Environmental Perception Factor

The act of perceiving the environment where one is inserted awakens the notion for co-responsibility of the users, leading them to better understand the interrelationships between man and environment. Of those: cognition, perception and interpretation of levels and dimensions of river Doce’s reality, its singularities and importance contribute to the understanding of visible and non-visible transformations, tangible or not, of the landscape, perceived and interpreted as heritage of the people, which must be passed on to future generations. The river Doce that bathes the city of Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil, is the 10th most polluted river in the country, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Currently, its water surface is extremely reduced, at serious risk of compromising the city supply. Having been raised by its margins, River Doce represents memory, identity, culture and history to Governador Valadares. This study presents the social perception of water manifested in a survey of high school students and teachers from public and private schools of Governador Valadares. Analysis of data collected through the questionnaire allowed the assessment of links between attitudes, values and social practices with regard to the Doce river, natural and cultural heritage of the community. Preliminary information identified in this exploratory study is relevant to the formulation of public and private policies that focus on the sustainable development of the Doce river basin.