The importance of sazonal dynamics from a beach in the Amazon to a local tourism economy: the case of alter do Chão, Santarém, Pará, Brazil

The article presents an analysis of the seasonal dynamics of the river beach located in Amazônia, Brazil. The primary information was obtained in the village of Alter do Chão, through interviews with agents directly involved with the tourist activity in the beach that forms in the Amazonian summer period. The information was collected through fluviometric data of the Tapajós river, verified in linimetric rules, fixed in columns of iron or wood by the National Water Agency, in the period from 2005 to 2018, made available by the of the Brazilian Navy, in order to obtain information on water and river flows, as well as articles and books. The information collected shows that the levels of transition between flood and drought make the search for more intensive tourism, however the more high water level gets, income falls sharply, pushing workers to pursue other activities, including outside the community. Fluviometric data indicate a natural tendency of the river's seasonal cycle and this dynamic comprises culture and landscape which is one of the main sources of local economy. One of the possible impacts caused by the Hydroelectric Project is the permanent river flood about the village of Alter do Chão, causing the disappearance of the most beautiful river beach in the world. This research suggests that we consider the impacts socioeconomic variables on the peoples of the Amazon, as to the use of tourist attractions threatened by major infrastructure projects in the region.