Determinação de indicadores de sustentabilidade ambiental para rios urbanos e sua aplicação ao Rio Cocó – Fortaleza, Ceará

Abstract

The research proposed to build a system of environmental sustainability indicators for urban rivers and apply it to the Cocó River, aiming to verify its environmental sustainability. To this end, we assumed that if the water source is able to fulfill its functions, it could be considered sustainable. To achieve the objectives, the following methodological approach was adopted: bibliographical survey for the pre-selection of environmental sustainability indicators that would compose the Preliminary Matrix, validation of the indicators through the application of the Delphi Method to a group of experts and technicians, and application of descriptive statistics and calculation of Cronbach's Alpha. Initially, 56 indicators were pre-selected, distributed in the following dimensions: environmental/ecological, environmental/sanitation, environmental/water resources, social, economic and institutional. Two rounds of the Delphi method were carried out; in the first round, 42 experts/technicians participated and in the second, 23 experts. To select the indicators that would be transferred from the first to the second round, a consensus number greater than or equal to 60% was adopted. After the responses from both rounds, descriptive statistics were used, in addition to the assessment of the internal consistency of the responses on the forms by applying Cronbach's alpha coefficient. As a result, we obtained a matrix of sustainability indicators for urban rivers, composed of 09 indicators and the following dimensions: environmental/environmental sanitation, environmental/water quality and institutional, which was constructed by specialists and technicians from multidisciplinary areas and with extensive theoretical and technical knowledge in the area of water resources. And when applying the indicators Trophic State Index and water compliance rate in relation to the Thermotolerant Coliforms parameter (% of samples), it was found that the water source currently does not have the conditions to fulfill its functions, including water supply and recreational use, which, according to the assumption used in the research, would make it unsustainable.