Privilégio Ambiental e Acesso à Água no Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

This study analyzes the mobilization process in favor of condominiums with collective water metering in Rio de Janeiro, in opposition to the method of charging the minimum water tariff multiplied by the number of condominium units. This process intensified following the concession of CEDAE's water and sewage services to the private sector. The research aims to understand the relationship between the reproduction of inequality in access to sanitation services and this mobilization process, based on the hypothesis that, by seeking easier access to water for higher socioeconomic groups, the mobilization benefits from mechanisms that enable environmental privileges. The study adopts a complementary perspective to most approaches within Political Ecology and Environmental Justice by focusing on privileged territories, rather than taking environmentally vulnerable areas as the primary object of research. The methodology employed included a narrative-systematic literature review on privileged access to the environment, and a qualitative analysis of interviews, documents, and events related to the demands of the condominiums. Several mechanisms were identified as having favored this mobilization process, contributing to the fact that, prior to the revision of Legal Thesis No. 414 by the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice (STJ), various litigating condominiums obtained exemption from the minimum tariff per unit. Their mobilization was further facilitated after the special appeals were admitted for possible revision of the thesis. However, the exercise of power through these mechanisms was limited by the arrival of new private concessionaires in the state. With the revision of Thesis 414/STJ, the condominiums’ mobilization underwent a reconfiguration of strategies and demands. More collective solutions - particularly the reduction of the minimum consumption volume considered for the minimum tariff at the state level - began to be pursued. The findings show that the conflict remains ongoing, and that condominiums continue to have their mobilization facilitated by the mechanisms. Furthermore, the dissertation highlights the importance of paying attention to power inequalities among the different interests in dispute within contexts of water commodification and the privatization of public services.