A vulnerabilidade como indicador de qualidade ambiental em área do baixo curso dos rios Maranguapinho e Ceará/CE: subsídios para o zoneamento ambiental

Abstract

The economic and social changes have altered significantly the quality of life of large Brazilian cities, due to degradation of the areas for preservation that are necessary for sustaining human life. The Ceará River basin, in the Fortaleza Metropolitan Region (FMR) is not ruled out of this situtation. Occupied in a disordered way, it was seriously affected by the Fortaleza’s urbanization process that landed in rivers and lakes that triggered the occupation of river-lake plains, pollution and deforestation of riparian forests. The fragility of the environmental components of the Ceará river basin, in association with a local socially vulnerable population, has caused losses to the environmental system and community involved. For this study the analysis was done using satellite imagery, conducting site visits and through the use of GIS software. The concepts used were environmental vulnerability, social and environmental vulnerability and environmental quality, and the use of the watershed as a natural cell analysis and planning. Through analysis of the variable geology, geomorphology, vegetation and forms of useoccupation, it was possible to evaluate the degree of environmental vulnerability of these environments in which the geosystem - lower course of the rivers Maranguapinho and Ceará - represented. This study leads us to an integrated analysis of this area, by considering the changes in energy flow of the system, coupled to human action, changing the living conditions of communities. The results showed that the areas that have low natural vulnerability, when the use / occupation factor was introduced, present a high environmental vulnerability, which shows the intense human pressure environments to which they are subjected. The perception and analysis of the situation in which they are, the elements that make up these environments, considering their strengths and limitations, leads us to an integrated analysis of the environment, resulting in information that can subsidize management plans in the area.