EPISTEMIC JUSTICE AND CONTEXTUALIZED EDUCATION IN THE BRAZILIAN SEMI-ARID: DECONSTRUCTING THE “EMPTY TERRITORY” NARRATIVE IN THE CAATINGA

The Brazilian Semi-Arid has historically been portrayed as a territory marked by scarcity, environmental adversity, and socio-economic vulnerability, reinforcing a persistent narrative that frames the region as an “empty” or deficient space in need of external intervention. Such representations have contributed to the marginalization of territorial knowledge systems and the invisibilization of socioecological practices developed by local communities. In this context, the present study aims to analyze how contextualized education contributes to the deconstruction of the “empty territory” narrative and to the recognition of the Caatinga as a space of knowledge production, territorial identity, and socioecological resilience. Methodologically, the research adopts an integrative literature review, based on a systematic search conducted between October 2025 and February 2026 in international and regional academic databases. A total of 252 records were initially identified, from which 28 references were selected after screening and eligibility procedures. The results reveal three major analytical patterns: epistemic conflicts between institutional and territorial knowledge systems, the role of contextualized education in strengthening territorial identity and community belonging, and the contribution of place-based educational approaches to climate literacy and environmental engagement among young people. The findings indicate that contextualized education operates as a form of epistemic resistance by legitimizing local knowledge systems and integrating them into educational processes. Consequently, semi-arid territories emerge not as spaces defined by scarcity but as landscapes of adaptive knowledge and socioecological learning. The study concludes that contextualized education plays a strategic role in promoting epistemic justice, strengthening territorial identities, and fostering adaptive capacities in regions increasingly affected by climate variability.