Fragilidade ambiental na bacia hidrográfica Riacho Reginaldo, Maceió – Alagoas

Abstract

The global population growth highlights an increasingly widespread occupation of areas that often should not be inhabited, resulting in environmental degradation and endangering communities in unsuitable regions. Furthermore, the increasing demand for natural resources driven by technological advances is intensifying the exploitation of these raw materials. In this scenario, it becomes crucial to implement territorial planning that seeks to minimize environmental impact and reduce harmful actions. The study of Environmental Fragility, developed by Ross (1994), serves precisely this purpose. Grounded in the Theory of Ecodynamics proposed by Tricart (1977), this study analyzes environmental fragilities considering their physical characteristics and anthropogenic influences. Fragility is classified into five levels, ranging from very low to very high. Geotechnologies and their tools, such as Geographic Information Systems, for example, come as strong allies in conducting studies as they allow for a wide range of task execution possibilities with greater agility, as well as the treatment of a variety of variables for a comprehensive analysis. Given the lack of studies on Environmental Fragility in the municipality, the present study focused on the Watershed of Riacho do Reginaldo, located entirely in the urban area of Maceió, Alagoas. To characterize this fragility, various variables were used in the QGIS software version 3.16, including Precipitation, Geomorphology, Soils, Slope, and Geology for the formation of potential environmental fragility. Additionally, for emergent fragility, the Land Use and Land Cover variable was added. This study aims to provide valuable information for subsequent research to assist in more conscientious territorial planning, focusing on environmental preservation and the mitigation of adverse impacts from population growth and uncontrolled natural resource exploitation. The majority of the watershed in the potential environmental fragility map demonstrated a low classification, while the emergent fragility map shows a watershed with high fragility due to a high degree of urbanization.