Technocrats and the Politics of Drought and Development in Twentieth-Century Brazil

Eve E. Buckleys study of twentieth-century Brazil examines the nations hard social realities through the history of science, focusing on the use of technology and engineering as vexed instruments of reform and economic development. Nowhere was the tension between technocratic optimism and entrenched inequality more evident than in the drought-ridden Northeast sertمo, plagued by chronic poverty, recurrent famine, and mass migrations. Buckley reveals how the physicians, engineers, agronomists, and mid-level technocrats working for federal agencies to combat drought were pressured by politicians to seek out a technological magic bullet that would both end poverty and obviate the need for land redistribution to redress long-standing injustices.

Scientists planned and oversaw huge projects including dam construction, irrigation for small farmers, and public health initiatives. They were, Buckley shows, sincerely determined to solve the drought crisis and improve the lot of poor people in the sertمo. Over time, however, they came to the frustrating realization that, despite technologys tantalizing promise of an apolitical means to end poverty, political collisions among competing stakeholders were inevitable. Buckleys revelations about technocratic hubris, the unexpected consequences of environmental engineering, and constraints on scientists as agents of social change resonate with todays hopes that science and technology can solve societys most pressing dilemmas, including climate change.