INEQUALITIES IN ACCESS TO BASIC SANITATION BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS IN ARCOVERDE (PE), BRAZIL

Abstract

This article analyzes inequalities in access to basic sanitation services between urban and rural areas of the municipality of Arcoverde, Pernambuco, focusing on water supply, sewage disposal, and solid waste management. The research adopts a quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach. The method consisted of a comparative analysis of rural and urban households, using data collection procedures through secondary sources, including the IBGE Demographic Census (2010), information from the Municipal Basic Sanitation Plan (PMSB), and records from the National Sanitation Information System (SNIS). The data were processed and analyzed quantitatively, with percentage calculations, category comparisons, and identification of coverage and precariousness patterns. The data profile included exclusively official secondary data regarding water supply, sewage disposal, and solid waste collection, excluding primary data collected directly in the field. The results show that only 15.9% of rural households have access to the water supply network, compared to 94% in urban areas. Regarding sewage, only 5.3% of rural households are connected to the sewage network, with rudimentary septic tanks or a complete lack of solutions. Regarding solid waste disposal, 72.9% of rural households burn or bury their garbage, in contrast to 96.5% of urban coverage. The analysis highlights persistent territorial inequalities and the predominance of a management model focused on urban areas, where population dispersion and water scarcity exacerbate problems. The study's results confirm the existence of profound disparities between urban and rural areas in Arcoverde, reflected in unequal access to basic sanitation services, and highlight the need to consider these differences in future health analyses and planning.