Great Endeavor to save the Northeast

the Inspetoria Federal de Obras Contra as Secas and debates on the organization of irrigation channels to combating the droughts of 1932 and 1942

Abstract

This article analyzes the public policies to combat drought developed in the 1930s and 1940s, particularly during the droughts of 1932 and 1942. During this period, the Inspetoria Federal de Obras Contra as Secas (IFOCS), agency responsible for carrying out projects related to the improvement of areas and populations affected by the calamity of droughts, received a significant boost due to the adoption of additional resources after a long period of service interruption. On February 20, 1931, the Brazilian president Getúlio Vargas approved a new regulation for the inspectorate, establishing the rules for the implementation of the “great endeavour to save the Northeast”. A top priority was the construction of water, road and agricultural infrastructure, including dams, irrigation channels, highways and agricultural colonies, that should work integrated. The goals provide settlement and agricultural development to the rural populations through irrigated agriculture around dams. The implementation of irrigation channels was one of the main focuses, leading significant conflicts between engineers and agronomists, enabling a perception of drought beyond a climate problem, which could be solved only with the water storage. Presidential reports and technical publications of the IFOCS were used in this analyse.