Desenvolvimento do índice de pobreza hídrica (IPH) para o semi-árido brasileiro.

Abstract

This dissertation addresses the development and preparation of a Water Poverty Index (WPI) for the northeastern semiarid region, based on index adopted by UK Department for International Development - DFID. It is proposed to consider the use of WPI as a diagnostic tool in most critical areas in the region, to enable actions focused on the improvement of their populations’ life quality and welfare. For that, a pilot area (Salgado basin) was selected together with the variables to be considered. Based on the selection and analysis of such variables, four indicators were evaluated: availability, access, capacity and environment, for each of which absolute and relative indicators were generated. To calculate absolute indicators, reference values for semiarid regions were adopted, while values obtained for each municipality in the Basin were adopted. Such indicators have rise to absolute and relative indexes. Applying WPI to that Basin suggested that the most problematic municipalities in terms of waterrelated poverty are Umari, Caririaçu, Abaiara and Jardim, and the best results were obtained for the municipalities of Juazeiro do Norte, Crato and Barbalha.