PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF IMPLEMENTING RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS IN QUILOMBOLA TERRITORIES IN PARAÍBA
Quilombos of Paraíba; Renewable Energy; Ethnography; Quilombola Epistemologies.
Quilombola populations have different perceptions of the various issues that have historically surrounded them, such as vulnerabilities, territorial conflicts, and external threats from enterprises. This research investigates the sociocultural effects of the implementation of renewable energy projects in two quilombola communities in Paraíba: Pitombeira (affected by the Luzia Solar Complex) and Serra do Abreu (under the influence of the Pedra Lavrada Wind Complex). Based on ethnographic research conducted by a quilombola researcher, the analysis focuses on the emic categories of “prejudice” and “damage,” which emerge from local narratives to describe the effects experienced, as opposed to the technical and external concept of “impact.” The study documents profound transformations in the way of life, social organization, territory, and environment, highlighting the absence of prior, free, and informed consultation. The research, therefore, articulates anthropological and epistemological criticism, denouncing how centralized energy transition reproduces colonial logics of accumulation by dispossession, environmental racism, and violation of quilombola territorial rights.