Governança e qualidade de vida em uma comunidade ribeirinha da Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Tupé - AM

Abstract

Governance, as a broad concept, acquires specific contours when applied to community contexts, in which the participation of multiple actors becomes relevant to the formulation of policies and practices aimed at meeting local demands. This research aimed to analyze the governance structure of the Agrovila Amazonino Mendes Riverine Community, located in a Sustainable Development Reserve in the municipality of Manaus, Amazonas, and its relationship with residents' quality of life. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of the State of Amazonas (CAAE: 89246425.1.0000.5016) and received consent from the Municipal Secretariat of Environment and Sustainability and the Agrovila Amazonino Mendes Community Association. The Governance Analytical Framework (GAF), proposed by Hufty (2011), was adopted as the analytical framework, within a cross-sectional mixed-methods design that articulated qualitative and quantitative components. In the qualitative stage, 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted with key actors, along with a non-participant observation of the community's General Assembly. In the quantitative stage, the WHOQOL-BREF instrument, developed by the World Health Organization, was applied in a census survey of 102 residents, complemented by a socioeconomic questionnaire. The results revealed an asymmetric polycentric community arrangement, in which the multiplicity of actors and decision-making spaces coexists with the functional concentration of intermediation around the presidency of the Community Association. Three structuring patterns of this arrangement were identified: asymmetric mediation exercised by the presidency, as the sole link between the community and external actors; the functional emptying of the General Assembly, partially compensated by emerging informal spaces, such as the WhatsApp group and the president's home; and a psychosocial resilience that sustains the well-being domains least dependent on public services and material conditions. Regarding the WHOQOL-BREF scores, the Environment domain presented the worst result (59.41), associated with the normative restrictions imposed on residents' productive activities, while the Psychological (71.77) and Social Relationships (71.16) domains recorded the highest scores, sustained by everyday reciprocity networks and a territorially rooted riverine identity, which operate relatively independently of formal governance processes. The governance arrangement identified, although functionally operant, presents structural fragility resulting from dependence on a single strategic actor, and the normative restrictions of the conservation unit, when not accompanied by a corresponding offer of sustainable development alternatives, constitute a key determinant with measurable effects on the well-being of riverine residents.