Mining and its Impacts on the “Caatingas” of the Brazilian Semiárido

Mining is one of the activities that affect the environment intensely, changing the location and environment where waste deposits are discarded. Being one of the basic sectors of the Brazilian economy, mining has contributed to the economic development, since operated with environmental responsibility, based on the precepts of sustainable development. The present study aims to demonstrate the socioenvironmental impacts and conflicts caused by mining activities in the rural community of Paredão, located in the north of the State of Bahia, as well as to discuss the ineffectiveness of Brazilian legislation through illegal mining without licensing. It is a qualitative, descriptive, observatory, bibliographical and participatory research based essentially on the Geosystemic Theory (Sotchava, 1977), the Ecodynamic Method (Tricart, 1977) and the GTP Theory (Bertrand, Bertrand, 2007). Discourse and Content Analysis of Bardin (2009). The results indicate that the area is totally degraded, directly impacting "the Caatingas" in loco, being with the soil and the subsoil deteriorated, completely naked, eroded and frail.