BASIC SANITATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN AN AMAZONIAN RURAL COMMUNITY: DIAGNOSIS AND PERCEPTION IN THE SÃO JOÃO DO ARAÇÁ COMMUNITY, ITACOATIARA-AM

Abstract

This paper describes basic sanitation conditions and environmental perception among residents of the São João do Araçá community, rural area of Itacoatiara, Amazonas, based on a participatory diagnosis conducted in June 2025 as part of the extension curricularization program of the Agrarian Sciences undergraduate course at the Federal Institute of Amazonas (IFAM), Itacoatiara Campus. A cross-sectional descriptive and exploratory design was adopted; data were collected through a structured questionnaire applied to 17 convenience-sampled residents and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Tubular wells serve as the water source for 94.1% of households, with chlorination as the only treatment applied; 82.4% use septic tanks for sewage disposal, while one household discharges wastewater into the open. Health problems — diarrhea, vomiting, and helminthiases — were reported by 35.3% of participants and attributed to sanitation conditions, though the association is self-reported. Environmental perception of improper waste disposal was notably underestimated: 82.4% of respondents classified its impact as merely moderate, despite reporting illness. Before the educational session conducted by the students, 70.6% declared having little or no prior knowledge of sanitation; afterward, all respondents said they felt better informed and expressed willingness to adopt low-cost practices. This unanimous response should be read as an indication of initial receptivity rather than evidence of sustained behavioral change, given the social desirability bias inherent in immediate post-session assessments. The findings point to technical weaknesses in the community's water and sanitation infrastructure and underscore the role of extension activities as an entry point for broader interventions