Michele Amorim Becker,Antônio Carlos dos Santos, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE SERGIPE, PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM DESENVOLVIMENTO E MEIO AMBIENTE, MICHELEAB@GMAIL.COM
This work aims at analyzing the way Risk Communication can contribute for an ethical discussion on the use of fresh water, especially concerning the transposition of the São Francisco. We shall present, to this end, the concept of Risk Communication, a recent field of activity which intends to present the social and environmental risks in a transparent, well planned way, in order to instigate public participation and contribute to risk management in environmental projects. We will also deal with the most prominent ethical principles which have been proposed concerning the good use of fresh water in Brazil, and then check if such principles have been observed in the Environmental Impact Report [Relatório de Impacto Ambiental – RIMA] of the Project concerning the Integration of the São Francisco and the Septentrional Northeastern Water Basins [Projeto de Integração do Rio São Francisco com Bacias Hidrográficas do Nordeste Setentrional], presented in July, 2004 by the Ministry of National Integration [Ministério de Integração Nacional].
Key-words: Risk Communication, Ethics, Transposition