SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER RESOURCES IN THE URBAN AND PERI-URBAN ENVIRONMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

This article describes participative educational strategies developed in the Project "Hidrocidades cities, quality of life and water resources: integrated management of water resources and urban planning of the region of Baixada de Jacarepagu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil"- with local residents, especially those of Cascatinha Community and, Professor Tecfilo Moreira da Costa Municipal School. The proliferation of informal settlements, has a complex nature and needs integrated effort by "School-Community-State" to identify education gaps which contribute to perpetuate existing precarious living conditions in settlements, or even, conventional technical solutions unsustainability. The activities in the project were articulated to environmental education associated to the social movement technology, which adopted the research-action approach that promotes social mobilization allowing greater awareness regarding each individual responsibility with the environment. It is believed that, keeping some particularities, Hidrocidades Project results may be replicated in other Brazilian cities, as well as in other cities of the developing world towards life quality improving and participatory local sustainable development.