The aim of this study was to investigate the social conditions of the Vila Juerana and Aritagua communities, seeking to identify the socio-economic aspects and realise what the obstacles to local development are, based on a description of the activities and needs of the local population based on their experiences, as well as to capture the population's understanding of the implementation of the Porto Sul complex in the vicinity of the two communities. The method used to gather the information was the Participatory Rural Diagnosis, which made it possible to gather information about the economic, cultural and social activities practised by the residents of the two communities and the availability of infrastructure to carry out these activities.