Abstract

GIATTI, Leandro Luiz  and  CUTOLO, Silvana Audrá. Acesso à água para consumo humano e aspectos de saúde pública na Amazônia Legal. Ambient. soc. [online]. 2012, vol.15, n.1, pp. 93-109. ISSN 1809-4422.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1414-753X2012000100007.

The Legal Amazon region in Brazil presents challenges regarding access to water for its population, even with plenty of water. This study aims to explore determinants of access to drinking water, covering aspects of environmental, sociocultural, and infrastructure. For this, we analyze: the precarious sanitation coverage by region, by means of macro indicators and case studies on different spatial scales: the indigenous community, small town, riverside communities, and a large city, Manaus, the largest urban center in the Pan-Amazon Amazon. Finally, to undertake an interdisciplinary discussion about the difficulties of access to water within the public health, the importance of exploring aspects that appear so evident in the spatial scales.

Keywords : Amazon region; access of water; poor sanitation; case studies; public health.