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Development projects, especially hydroelectric dams, have submerged communities, leaving a legacy of loss and memories that endure under the water, as in every story of a submerged Brazilian city.
Brazil, in its quest for energy development, has seen entire communities literally swallowed up by the waters. Beneath hydroelectric reservoirs lie the stories and identities of one submerged Brazilian city after another, revealing a pattern in the country’s development that raises questions about planning and the human cost of such projects.
The promise of prosperity often masked the sadness and loss of cultural identity of the displaced residents. Rivers, once sources of life, became agents of submersion, transforming the homes of these populations and creating a painful relationship with the altered landscape. The history of each submerged Brazilian city is a testament to this duality.
Between progress and nostalgia: the human cost of hydroelectric plants
The construction of large dams was often justified as essential for the country’s progress. However, for the populations who saw their homes and stories covered by the waters, the reality was one of uprooting and difficult adaptation. The official narrative of development often overshadowed memories of suffering.
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The submersion of cities such as Petrolândia Velha (PE), Jaguaribara Velha (CE), Canudos Velho (BA), Sento Sé Velho (BA) and Remanso Velho (BA) illustrates this process. Each location carries a unique story of loss and the struggle to preserve its identity, even in the face of the force of the waters.
Petrolândia Velha: the church that symbolizes a submerged Brazilian city
Submerged in the 80s by the Luiz Gonzaga Hydroelectric Plant, Velha Petrolândia had its population forcibly relocated. From the waters emerged a powerful symbol: the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Partially submerged, the church became the emblem of the lost city and a focal point for memory and tourism.
During periods of drought, other ruins reappear, reviving memories. The submerged church transformed Petrolândia into the “Brazilian Atlantis,” shrouded in legends and the pain of losing a way of life, especially for the oldest residents.
Echoes from other waters: Jaguaribara, Canudos and the legacy of Sobradinho
Jaguaribara Velha (CE) was submerged by the Castanhão Reservoir in 2001. The New Jaguaribara was planned with popular participation, seeking to preserve ties and symbols. However, the change drastically altered the way of life and, paradoxically, the drought that reveals the ruins is awaited with emotion.
Canudos Velho (BA), the scene of the historic war, was flooded by the Cocorobó Reservoir in the 1960s. Many saw the submersion as an attempt to erase the memory of popular resistance. Today, Canudos State Park seeks to preserve this history.
In Bahia, Sento Sé Velho and Remanso Velho were destroyed in the 70s by the Sobradinho Dam. The displacement affected thousands of families, and the ruins that emerge during the drought bring to light the pain of the loss of fertile land and a way of life linked to the river.
Old São Rafael, a city located in Rio Grande do Norte, is also one of these submerged cities spread across Brazil.
What nonsense!
It was not the story of their parents' or grandparents' lives.
I'm sorry. Unfortunately, it is often necessary to take drastic measures for development and in many cases, true treasures are destroyed, which are often irreparable, such as the Itaipu Power Plant, which buried the Sete Quedas Falls. However, on the other hand, many who were displaced took advantage of their money and went to what is now Mato Grosso do Sul or Barreiras, in Bahia, and today they are large farmers and many millionaires. We can achieve developmental growth if we do it with excellent public planning.
I completely agree with your speech. History is the memory of places and people and must be the main axis for development.