Industriais da Seca and the Politics of Drought in the Brazilian Northeast

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22296/2317-1529.rbeur.202551pt

Keywords:

Antonio Callado, Regional planning, Socio-Spatial inequalities, Regional development, Public policies

Abstract

This paper examines Antonio Callado’s critique of the social and political dynamics surrounding drought in Brazil’s Northeast, as highlighted in his 1959 chronicles for the newspaper Correio da Manhã, which exposed the Indústria da Seca—a network of large landowners and politicians who exploited drought relief efforts for personal and political gain. Callado argued that drought, often framed as a climatic issue, perpetuated inequality and reinforced power imbalances. Employing a historical-documentary methodology, this study draws on Callado’s chronicles and archival sources. Using Milton Santos’ theory of space, it explores how socio-political structures and resource control transformed drought into a tool of profit and domination. Celso Furtado’s developmental thought, particularly his advocacy of land reform and equitable resource distribution, informs the analysis. By synthesizing Callado, Santos and Furtado’s perspectives, this paper highlights drought as a reflection of entrenched inequalities and a contested site of power.

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Author Biography

Tamara Zambiasi, University of Cambridge, Department of Geography, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Historian and PhD candidate in Geography at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, where she also earned a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies. She is a fellow of the UK Research and Innovation Economic and Social Research Council (UKRI/ESRC) and a Distinguished Honorary Researcher on the Harding Programme. She is a member of the Geographies of Knowledge research group at the University of Cambridge and the Political Geography and Environment research group at USP (GEOPO). She is also a member of the research office of the Cambridge Climate Society and is a co-editor of The Cambridge Journal of Climate Research. Her research explores the intersection between financialization and water governance in Brazil, examining the impacts of this process on sustainability and equity in access to water resources. Her goal is to contribute to the development of more effective and inclusive public policies for water management.

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Published

2025-10-13

How to Cite

Zambiasi, T. (2025). Industriais da Seca and the Politics of Drought in the Brazilian Northeast . Revista Brasileira De Estudos Urbanos E Regionais, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.22296/2317-1529.rbeur.202551pt

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Vol. 27 No. 1 (2025): Janeiro-Dezembro

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