Objetivos de desenvolvimento sustentável e capacidades estatais: desafios do consórcio regional de saneamento básico da microrregião de Lavras

Abstract

Knowing that the intermunicipal public consortium modality emerged to assist local public authorities, by encouraging the sharing of resources and knowledge, to overcome their limitations in the provision of public services, and given the need that municipalities have in the construction of solutions aimed at sustainable development, with more efficient and responsible public policies, the following question arises: how have public consortia been oriented towards fulfilling the global agenda of the United Nations (UN) in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and what are the challenges in terms of state capacity faced in their performance? This case study, therefore, aimed to check how the Regional Basic Sanitation Consortium (CONSANE) has been oriented towards meeting SDG 6, the purpose of which is to guarantee availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. More specifically, we sought to describe the administrative organization process of CONSANE; identify the actions promoted by the consortium to promote basic sanitation in the microregion of Lavras-MG; and describe, based on the perception of managers and considering the theoretical framework of state capacities, the technical-administrative, fiscal and political-relational challenges faced by the consortium. This was a qualitative study of an exploratory and descriptive nature, which used documentary analysis and in-depth interviews as data collection procedures. For analysis purposes, content analysis techniques were considered. In terms of results, it was found that CONSANE has indirectly been oriented towards compliance with SDG 6 due to legal obligations, and that the main challenges faced refer to the difficulty of collaboration, financial limitations and the lack of mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the services provided.