In the impoverished part of the Northeast Region of Brazil, there’s a vast land.
For the neighboring rural communities here, unfortunately, it’s a rugged land with recurring drought. That has made it unsuitable for commercial farming which has transformed so much of the country.
However, there is something harvestable here that has attracted energy companies: the wind.
There’s a big potential here that changes to the land have been dramatic.
For instance, Enel Green Power, an Italian energy company, has put up one of Latin America’s largest wind farms, with 372 turbines, investing more than $1.4 billion.
In the eyes of climate observers or activists, this means a good thing–more clean energy, right?
It’s a different experience for the communities in the region, though.
People here have had varying experiences with wind power development–from very good to very bad.
These different experiences offer a glimpse into wind company practices that are leading to increasing resistance to clean power like this in Brazil. While the fact is, the country has become the world’s fifth largest wind power producer.
One of the communities, Sumidouro, is a formally recognised quilombo. It’s a community of descendants of Afro-Brazilian runaway slaves.
One of the people, Nilson José dos Santos, did his effort to get recognition from the government. That granted him land ownership which prepared him and his community to deal with the energy companies.
With that, they demanded negotiations and managed to keep the turbines at a distance. They also n
egotiated for easier water access.
Moreover, native plants in the region, known as caatinga, were cut down to make way for the transmission lines which bring electricity from the wind farm to wherever it’s needed.
Therefore, in exchange for this loss of vegetation, Sumidouro also secured money for research on breeding goats and for bees to make honey.
Some people’s knee-jerk reaction might be anger or frustration because these communities look like they don’t care about the environment.
However, they want the world to understand that they’re not against clean energy development. They just want to be involved in the process. And now that these big projects have happened around them, they’re shielding themselves for protection.
At the same time, if there needs to be development in their area, they can demand compensation.
However, not every community is as fortunate as the Sumidouro.
Noise all around
Lagoa is the neighboring community of Sumidouro. It’s another Afro-descendant quilombo, but it doesn’t have formal recognition.
Here, the 22 families did not receive the extra benefits from the wind company. Dos Santos’ cousin, Geremias da Cruz dos Anjos, and others have rely on trucked-in water while Dos Santos received a community water system from the energy companies.
dos Anjos, who lives 612 yards (560 meters), commented that all they got was the noise.
While this distance meets Brazilian and international guidelines, dos Anjos says he struggles with the constant sound of strong wind.
According to dos Anjos, Enel initially met with Lagoa’s community elders. Soon, however, the company started negotiating with families individually.
“They would say that if we didn’t sign … they would build anyway,” he said.
Moreover, despite having better conditions than other communities, it’s not always sunshine and rainbows for the people.
Dos Anjos’s house is a short walk from a farmer’s house in Sumidouro, yet the piped water doesn’t reach it.
During the dry season, when water is scarce, the farmer spends about $120 a month to buy it. It’s the biggest expense for the family of four, who live off a small plot of beans and corn, raising goats, and government aid.
The walls of their clay block home have also cracked. Dos Anjos suspects that it’s due to the wind turbine. And when trucks flock to the wind farm, the dust can become overwhelming indoors.
For this, the community has demanded for paving, although the demand isn’t yet met.
The communities
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Not all communities are the same. However, the main difference between Lagoa and Sumiduro is that one is recognized by the government while the other one isn’t.
This lack of recognition left Lagoa without the protections given to traditional communities in Brazil.
Lagoa isn’t the only one, unfortunately. Only 13% of quilombos have official recognition, a process that can take more than two decades. It’s rather ironic, because that process is much slower than licensing and construction of wind farms.
This has left impacts in the Northeast part of Brazil, where nearly 70% of quilombolas live.
Enel explained to the Associated Press that it has complied with Brazilian law and they’ve consulted all nearby communities. It also claims that only one house was damaged during construction and was renovated.
Considering how big companies would often find loopholes to make positive, public statements, one can feel skeptical towards it.
And regardless of what Enel states, the communities feel disadvantaged by those companies.
Going against wind farms in Brazil
As a response, dos Anjos advised other communities to negotiate harder with wind companies for community priorities. Or, they oppose wind energy projects.
As mentioned, there’s been a growing movement against wind power–either completely or simply to ensure that the developments include the locals.
Several environmental and social groups, mostly led by women, have gathered under an umbrella group called Nordeste Potencia.
They’ve published a list of proposed best practices for wind developers, government at all levels, the judiciary, and funding agencies.
Moreover, a group of women have traveled to the capital, Brasilia, to make their voices heard and deliver the document to federal agencies.
The following month, thousands of farmers took to the streets of Areial, in the state of Paraiba, to protest against wind projects.
A mural depicted wind turbines next to tree stumps, barbed wire fences, and a house full of cracks. Fences are included because they can limit planting and grazing areas.
Recently, the nonprofit Institute for Socioeconomic Studies in Brazil examined 50 wind contracts from across Brazil’s Northeast.
It found that small farmers are receiving very little for leasing their land for wind. The nonprofit also highlighted a lack of transparency. For example, landowners have no way to verify the amount of energy wind companies are producing.
As I’ve mentioned here, community engagement is important to ensure the success of the clean energy transition.
Involving those who might be affected
When we’re heading to a future where we’ll use a lot more renewable, clean energy, it’s wise to acknowledge that new infrastructure is increasingly intersecting with populated areas and natural ecosystems.
And since finding suitable project sites which don’t affect communities is becoming more and more challenging as well, it’s important to manage its impact effectively.
Opposition to new developments and infrastructure is rising. During some protests from communities, conservation groups, local authorities, and indigenous groups, we’ve seen signs or terms like NIMBY and BANANA.
Those are terms that sound harmless, but actually stand for “not in my back yard” and “build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything”, respectively.
Opposition delays or prevents additional renewable power; that’s why involving communities is vital for its success.
Community engagement in energy and infrastructure projects is not new. Before clean energy, it has been part of the fossil fuel sector for many years, also with different degrees of success.
The difference is, fossil fuel energy developments happened before the widespread use of the internet and social media.
And now with those two combined, poorly managed community engagement can lead to diminishing their business value. It can also lead to businesses losing their social license to operate.
Effective community engagement presents an opportunity to create significant value for society, the economy, the environment, and businesses.
On the other hand, a people-positive approach to community engagement can accelerate the deployment of clean energy projects.
In turn, it’ll benefit the environment and help achieve their renewable energy and climate goals.
This way, businesses can also reduce the risk of opposition, eliminate bottlenecks, and avoid costly delays. Involving communities can combine projects with local knowledge, improving project plans and providing a wide range of benefits.
Sources:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/12/clean-energy-community-engagement/
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