DIAGNOSIS OF THE WATER ACCESS SITUATION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF

Purpose: This work aims to develop a water indicator, using the IPH (Water Poverty Index) method that can evaluate the situation of access and use of water by inhabitants of urban areas in the North region, especially in the city of Belém – PA. Theoretical framework: Access to safe drinking water, despite being a basic human right, has not been extended to all individuals, as regions with high water availability suffer from problems with access and quality of the resource offered. The Northern region of Brazil concentrates 81% of the country's water availability, however, this region presents divergent scenarios regarding access to water resources. Method/design/approach: For the methodology used in this study, variables were selected that cover the dimensions: Capacity, Water Resources, Use, Access and Environment; the Delphi methodology was also used to develop the quantification of the data obtained to determine the IPH. Results and conclusion: As a result of the field visits, we came across several complaints from neighborhood residents about the quality of the water supply service. It was concluded that the water situation in the neighborhood, despite the great availability of resources, is uncomfortable, requiring improvements in management. Research implications: The research follows a line of importance for the management of water and health issues in the city of Belém, being carried out later in other neighborhoods of the capital. Originality: The study contributes to the knowledge of water realities in the city of Belém, and shows the contrast between availability and access to water resources.


INTRODUCTION
Water is a natural asset of extreme importance for living beings, and access to water for human consumption is a priority in Brazil, according to Law n° 9.433/1997, which establishes the National Water Resources Policy.However, despite being a basic right, it does not have universal coverage, since in several regions of the country the population suffers from the lack of water.This situation is causing concern, particularly for people living in areas of social vulnerability.Therefore, for the policy model to be fully effective, tools adjusted to management processes are needed (BRAZIL, 1997;RAZZOLINI & GUNTER, 2008;CHIODI, 2023).
Law 11,445/07, entitled the Basic Sanitation Law, provides for access to drinking water supply services to be universalized, aiming at infrastructure and facilities necessary for the public network to reach all individuals.However, it is still very difficult to reach this goal, since approximately 12 million households in the country do not have access to the supply network, according to data from the last census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics -IBGE (BRAZIL, 2007;IBGE, 2010).
Brazil, despite being one of the richest countries in fresh water on the planet, faces supply crises in several municipalities, among them some located in the North region, where the quantitative water is very abundant, concentrating 81% of the water availability of the 3 country.This context of abundance makes the Amazon Legal internationally recognized as the territory of the waters (REBOUÇAS, 2003;ANA, 2011;CARAMELLO et. al., 2015).
However, in spite of being recognized for the abundance in the supply of water resources, the Legal Amazon does not portray the universal satisfaction of the elementary needs of its inhabitants.For, according to the National Water Agency, around 70% of the population of the Northern Region still does not have access to treated water, and special attention should be given to urban centers due to their vulnerability (GIATTI & CUTOLO, 2012;ANA, 2011, KERN et al, 2023).
The difficulty of access to water in the Amazon region can be aggravated with the inadequate management of water resources, which can result in changes in the quality of the service provided.In this way, the development of a water indicator, to assess the current situation of the homes of the Northern Region, may be the most viable option to assist in the management of resources.However, the concept of water quantity, linked to the myths of low population density and cultural homogeneity, contributed to the incorrect elaboration of sustainability indicators and water resources in this region (CARAMELLO et al., 2015).
Given this scenario, we note the need to monitor the water situation by means of qualitative indicators, in line with the quantitative aspects.This is how the Water Poverty Index (HPI) is used, elaborating indicators and variables that address the water situation of the study area, with the aid of the Delphi methodology, in order to assess the conditions of access and the use of water in the households located in the neighborhood of Canudos, Belém -PA, besides elaborating instruments that assist in the support of decision in the selection of public policies, analyzing socioeconomic, institutional, biophysical and environmental constraints.

THEORETICAL FRAME
The Hydro Poverty Index (HPI) is a tool applicable to water management and was used in the studies of Luna (2008), in an application that consists of the evaluation of access, use and availability of water in municipalities in the northeast of Brazil, in particular in the semi-arid region.This study has characteristics of quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the water situation of the study sites, which results in parameters applicable in a systematic way for water evaluation, and can be used in several other surveys.
For example, the work of Crispim (2015), which was applied to assess the water situation of rural communities of the municipality of Pombal, in the state of Paraíba (PB), adapting the HPI indicators and placing them on a numerical scale from the best to the worst water situation.This study allowed the visualization of the deficiency in the distribution and quality of water supply in some communities in relation to others, besides specifying the predominant uses of water in each community.
Thus, given the applicability to assess the water situation, Silva et al. (2022) adapted the use of HPI for urban areas, with the aid of the Delphi methodology, elaborating a matrix of components weighted by specialists in the area of water resources and sanitation, with the aim of evaluating the access and use of water in Brazilian cities.Based on this methodology, the intention was to evaluate the conditions of access to water, the predominant uses, as well as the water and environmental conditions of urban areas, both in districts/districts and in entire cities.

METHOD
The methodology to be used in this study consists of descriptive research.This type of research has the purpose of performing a description of the characteristics of a population and/or a specific phenomenon, as well as the establishment of associations between variables and indicators.

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For the survey of data necessary to reach the research goal, the methods of collecting quantitative and qualitative information will be used, by means of field consultation after weighting Delphi, according to Figure 1.The elaboration of the questionnaires will depend on the survey of the components and dimensions that will be integrated into the Index, having as variables both the issues specific to urban areas, and aspects associated with the place of study in question, in this case, the city of Belém.

Characterization of the Study Area
The study is being carried out in the district of Canudos, a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city of Belém, where a large part of the population is in social vulnerability, mainly the inhabitants of areas close to the Tucunduba river, located to the right of the district.Figure 2 shows the layout of the streets and blocks of the neighborhood in question.To better characterize the physical aspects of the neighborhood, some data was obtained about the city of Belém, capital of the state of Pará; located in the northern region of Brazil.The population of the municipality at the 2010 census was 1,393,399, with 1,381,475 inhabitants in the urban area and 11,924 in the rural area, for an area of territorial unit 1,559,458 km² and a population density of 1,315 (hab/km²).The climate of the municipality of Belém is classified as a tropical forest climate, with the absence of a cold season and an average annual temperature of 25 ºC, with an average annual rainfall of 2,834 mm (PMB, 2012; IBGE 2010).

Definition of Dimensions
In order to formulate the water indicator, it was necessary to select dimensions and variables that cover the studies carried out in the research.For the adoption of the dimensions, sub-dimensions and variables of the indicator, a checklist of indicators was drawn up based on studies that associate the theme of water resources management with socioeconomic aspects.For this elaboration, the methodology of the research of Martins and Cândido (2008) was used, which aims to create sustainability indicators for Brazilian municipalities.
The Water Poverty Index (HPI) was structured into five components: Capacity (C), Water Resources (R), Water Use (U), Water Access (A) and Environment (MA), according to the aspects covered by the type of qualitative-quantitative assessment (SILVA et al, 2022;CRISPIM, 2015;LUNA, 2008).
Board 1 -Components of the Water Poverty Index and their respective descriptions.

Capacity
It encompasses the socioeconomic aspects, schooling, housing conditions, income and health of the population.

Water Resources
It aims to analyze the quality of the resource that reaches the homes, taking into consideration the organoleptic characteristics of the water, the water source used by the residence and the management of this resource.

Water Use
It considers the activities of higher consumption in the residences, contrasting with the availability of existing water, as well as measures to conserve it.

Access to Water
It assesses whether households have access to the water supply network and to basic sanitation, as well as considering possible alternatives for consumption, if the supply is not effective.

Environment
It refers to the perception of the population about the environment, as well as to identify possible environmental problems, which can be related to the water problem.Source: Adaptado de Silva et al. (2022), Crispim (2015) and Luna (2008).To analyze the water situation in the districts of the municipality of Belém -PA, in particular the neighborhood of Canudos, subcomponents and variables were selected that could cover the five (5) dimensions listed in Board 1.The variables of each selected dimension are intended to portray the context of the study area in order to choose better solutions to the problems encountered.

Application of the Delphi Methodology
In order to validate the dimensions adopted for the research, it was necessary to evaluate by specialists and professionals working in the area of water resources and sanitation, not only to make observations, but to quantify the value and importance of each dimension for this type of research.Thus, each specialist attributed a value to the dimensions of the HPI, in order to quantify the responses of the population in objective notes.For example, if one person says that he has well water, and another says that he has tap water, the values will have different weights, in the view of the specialists.
To this end, the Delphi methodology was used, which aims to obtain consensus of opinions among a group of experts, by means of a series of intensive questionnaires, according to the data design and a matrix, in which, the greater the number of professionals addressed, the better the representativeness of the results (SILVA et al., 2022).
Experts, technicians, professors, representatives of municipal and state public bodies, professionals from the private sector and from non-governmental organizations, will give their opinion on the relevance of each sub-dimension in relation to the dimension to which it is subordinated, assigning weights from zero (0) to one hundred (100) for each component and sub-component, according to the relevance that this dimension has for research.

Population Estimates
After the definition of the dimensions and the application of the Delphi methodology for the weighting of the indicators, the preparations for the application of the field questionnaires begin, that is, close to the population, therefore, calculations of population projection are carried out, which aim to measure, by means of mathematical techniques, the current population of the place of study, starting from data of previous years.Thus, the field research was estimated for the year 2020, using data from the 2000 and 2010 IBGE census.
The mathematical method adopted for this estimate is used by Tsutiya (2006), known as the Geometric Method.This methodology considers the same percentage population increase for equal periods of time, stipulating a geometric curve, either for population growth or population decrease.The general expression for estimating the population in year t is given by Equation 1. 7 is the population for the year 2020 which is to be found by this method; is the population in the year , 2010 and is the population in the year , 2000.

𝑷 = 𝑷𝟐(
The population data from the neighborhood of Canudos, Belém-PA, taken from the 2000 and 2010 IBGE censuses were used and calculations were made to determine the population in 2020 of the neighborhood covered in the survey, according to Table 1.After the population projection was carried out, the methodology for calculating sampling was applied, that is, the statistical calculation that defines the sample of the population to be addressed in the survey.Thus defining how many questionnaires should be applied in the proposed neighborhood.

Calculation of Sample Size
The number of inhabitants to be interviewed will be determined using the methodology employed by Levin (1987), based on the estimate of the proportion of the population.Equation 2exposes the statistical formula used in the calculation to determine the size of the sample to be searched.
The procedures to be applied for the calculation of the sample (n) from the estimation of the population ratio shall consider the following criteria: (a) finite populations; (b) confidence level; and (c) significance level α.For field research, the Simple Sample method is adopted, respecting the principle of randomness with regard to the people who participate in the interviews.Each interviewee will have to answer the questionnaire, which consists of objective questions organized from a set of themes linked to the access and use of water with socioeconomic aspects.

Implementation of on-the-spot questionnaires
The components and variables defined in Board 1 of this article were used in the construction of the questionnaire, to be quantified by the Delphi methodology and to generate the Water Poverty Index (HPI).The variables used were chosen thinking of those that would be more suitable for the characteristics of Belém, given the adaptability of the method.
It should be noted that before the application of the questionnaire, the interviewees will be given a brief presentation of the subjects to be addressed in the questionnaire, with the purpose of avoiding any doubts during its completion.The questions aim to characterize the water resource of the neighborhood, such as the color of the water, the source of supply, among others.Each question has a grade, assigned by Delphi method technicians.

Calculation of the Water Indicator
After quantifying the data, aided by the weights and scores attributed by technicians to the components and variables of the indicator, as well as by the responses of the inhabitants to the questions of the questionnaire, one can obtain the creation of the Water Poverty Index, for the analysis of the access and use of water by the population of the Canudos district.
The calculation is carried out using the methodology employed by Silva et al. (2022), observing the weights attributed to the Index components by Delphi professionals.Table 3 exemplifies the HPI calculation methodology for each neighborhood residence and how the overall HPI is calculated.Finally, in this type of analysis, a scale used in work by Martins and Cândido (2008) was adapted, composed of a variation from 0 to 10.Based on this method, the value found closer to 10, represents that lower will be the degree of water poverty in the neighborhood, and the closer to 0 the greater will be water poverty.Martins and Cândido (2008) apud Crispim (2015).

Results Obtained Using the Delphi Method
A quantity of forty (40) questionnaires were sent by physical and virtual means to be completed by Delphi professionals, of these eight (8) were completed virtually and twelve (12) were completed by means of a printed questionnaire, which totaled twenty (20) completed questionnaires in total.
The professionals consulted are in the area of hydrology, licensing, water resources, basic sanitation, concession and environmental management.Some of these are professors from the School of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering at UFPA, or from other institutions such as UFRA, UEPA and private colleges.In addition, technicians were consulted from the State Department of Environment and Sustainability of Pará (SEMAS), who work in their various lines of professional positions; in addition to professionals from other sectors, such as environmental consulting companies.
After the completion of the weights and notes by the respective technicians, the arithmetic mean of the weights that the Delphi professionals attributed to the components, subcomponents and variables of the HPI was performed.In Table 5, mean values of weights are listed.Among the sub-components, Education of the population was judged to be the most important within the Capacity Component, the Supply Source was the most important item among those included in the Water Resources Component, already inUsage and in the Access, the sub-items with the highest weights were Water Availability and Access to the Supply Network, respectively.The most important question judged about the environment is the knowledge of the inhabitants about the environmental conditions of the neighborhood.
These results reflect the opinion of the Delphi specialists as to the most important items for the research, that is, those that have a greater weight of interference in the water situation of the analyzed district.

Capacity Component
In this component of the indicator, social and institutional issues of residents were assessed, among them access to health services.Canudos is one of the neighborhoods that does not have health centers or emergency units, being necessary the movement of its population to other neighborhoods.
In addition, the income balance was carried out in the households covered, and a very mixed population was found, and the portion with the lowest wage rate is to be found in the east of the neighborhood, near the neighborhood of Terra Firme and the Igarapé Tucunduba, where there is the highest concentration of wooden dwellings and deficiency in basic sanitation.

Environment Component
When asked about the main environmental problems, the majority of the population claimed to have problems with the water supply, as well as the presence of open-air dumps with irregular disposal of solid and liquid waste.Some have explained the existence of flooding and contamination of the area by irregular sewage.All the people interviewed in the Canudos neighborhood claimed to see problems around their homes involving basic sanitation, with 31 people saying they had inefficient water supply, followed by 24 people who claimed that the biggest problem was irregular waste disposal nearby.

Water Component
Involving the Water Resources Component, the questioning was carried out to the residents of the neighborhood as to the color and taste of the water coming from the supply network, that is, it was carried out the evaluation of organoleptic aspects of the water that reaches the residences of the neighborhood.Responses can be seen in Figures 4 and 5. Almost 80% of the interviewees claimed that the water reaching their taps is yellowish in color, corresponding to 51 inhabitants, in which they claimed that the water had a dirty aspect, causing esthetic revulsion, and only 15% of the interviewees said that they had clear water in the taps.Figure 5 shows another organoleptic characteristic of the water, the taste, which according to 63% of the inhabitants, the water tastes bitter, appearing to be ferruginous.Such a feature may indicate problems in the municipality's supply network, such as old pipes and/or lack of maintenance.

Usage Component
The next dimension assessed refers to the use of water by the population, who were asked about the availability of water in their homes, in addition to the types of use and if it is the water available is satisfactory for the performance of their domestic activities.The results are expressed in the graphs in the following figures.The majority of the population described that the flow is usually satisfactory most of the time, however, another 15% exposed that the water is usually too short or has low flow in the taps, not satisfying most of the time their needs.
As to the characterization of the main uses of water in the homes, the results showed that the population's priorities in daily use, which can be observed in the graph of Figure 7.It was observed, by means of this analysis, that the typology of use with the highest consumption of water in the residences is washing clothes, overlapping the uses considered most important, such as hygiene and food preparation.Accordingly, one can note the low environmental awareness of the inhabitants, coming from the absence of policies for environmental education in the city.

Access Component
Data was obtained about the perception about the quality of the water in the neighborhood and the majority of the inhabitants of Canudos classified the water that arrives in their homes as bad (31%) or bad (40%), revealing the dissatisfaction of the population with the quality of the supply.13 This dissatisfaction generated legal discussions between residents and the city hall, which led to the exemption of the supply fee in some residences and the application of a minimum fee in others.Thus, ¼ of the respondents did not pay a fee, and another portion classified the rate as acceptable, except the remaining 41%, who continue to pay high and/or very high rates.The water supply in the city of Belém is made by sections and not by neighborhoods, that is, it is possible that one part of the neighborhood has good quality and another portion has lower quality.This was observed in the neighborhood of Canudos, since the eastern portion of the neighborhood, has water resources of inferior quality to the western portion of the neighborhood.
It should also be pointed out that this eastern part is where most of the population is socially vulnerable.While the western part, closer to the city center, benefits from better social and basic sanitation conditions.
Furthermore, as has already been mentioned, the municipality of Belém has great availability of surface water, being bathed by large rivers.Therefore, it is up to the public authorities to administer this resource in a cohesive manner, so that it is distributed evenly to the whole population of the city.

Calculation of the Water Poverty Index (HPI)
After carrying out the diagnosis of the Canudos district, the IPH values were calculated.This was done by using the component weights obtained in the Delphi methodology, together with the questionnaire replies.The calculations are performed in a multivariate analysis with weightings, according to the methodological descriptions already addressed.In Table 4, the values of each Index Component are observed.The indicators shown above are the sum of the responses of the population questionnaires weighted with the weights assigned by the experts, with the aid of an Excel spreadsheet.With the average of these indicators, we obtained the Water Poverty Index (HPI) of 6.47 for the neighborhood of Canudos.
Despite being a value classified as Good by the scale of Martins and Cândido (2008) and Crispim (2015), this HPI is lower than expected for a region of such abundance of water, like the city of Belém, it can be measured that the biggest problems are the policies for managing water resources, which need improvements, both in the universalization of access to the most needy populations, and in the quality of this access, since the Components Capacity and Water Resources were the lowest value presented in the research.
The analysis and discussion of the results should characterize the context of the research, whether by the description of the environment, the economic environment or the economic sector.Present the development of research.To structure sub-sections in order to "respond" to the objectives of the work.It can be structured in subsections in order to meet the objectives of the work.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
It is concluded, therefore, that the neighborhood of Canudos presents several difficulties in water supply, causing quite unrest in the population, despite the neighborhood being located in a city extremely rich in water resources, which ends up concluding that the biggest water problems of Belém are in the management of this resource.
Therefore, although the neighborhood has an index above six (6) according to its HPI, it is not a reason for convenience to the public authority, since the population is already greatly affected by the problems of the supply network with the index found, if the value decreases, the population of Canudos may in future be in a state of water calamity.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Flowchart of the research application methodology Source: Prepared by the authors (2023)

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Main environmental problems of Canudos Source: Prepared by the authors (2023)

Figure 4 .
Figure 4. Color of water offered to residents of the Canudos neighborhood Source: Prepared by the authors (2023)

Figure 5 .
Figure 5. Taste of the water consumed by the population of the Canudos district Source: Authors.

Figure 6 .
Figure 6.Panorama between availability and popular satisfaction Source: Prepared by the authors (2023)

Figure 8 .
Figure 8. Price of water tariff Source: Prepared by the authors (2023)

Table 2 -
Quantity of questionnaires required.

Table 3 -
Example table of HPI calculation

Table 4 -
Classification and representation of water indicator levels.

Table 5 -
Average weight of components and subcomponents for the determination of HPI.

Table 6 -
Component values for the Canudos district