Fragilidade ambiental potencial e emergente associada ao uso do solo na área de proteção ambiental do rio Pacoti (CE)

Abstract

Coastal environments constitute dynamic and complex systems resulting from the interaction between continental, marine, and atmospheric processes, presenting high ecological and socioeconomic relevance, as well as significant environmental susceptibility to anthropogenic pressures. In this context, Environmental Protection Areas, by allowing the sustainable use of the territory, require technical instruments capable of supporting environmental planning and management. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the environmental fragility of the Rio Pacoti Environmental Protection Area, located on the eastern coast of the state of Ceará, based on the integration of physical-natural conditions and land use and occupation dynamics. The research is characterized as an applied study with qualitative and quantitative approaches, developed through desk-based analysis and the exclusive use of secondary data. The assessment of environmental fragility was based on the distinction between potential environmental fragility, associated with the natural attributes of the physical environment, including soil, relief, and vegetation, and emerging environmental fragility, resulting from the interaction between potential fragility and anthropogenic pressures related to land use and land cover. The analysis was structured through the characterization of the geoenvironmental units of the study area and the systematization of information from official cartographic databases and technical documents. The results revealed significant spatial contrasts among the geoenvironmental units of the Rio Pacoti Environmental Protection Area. Environments associated with fluvio-marine plains, dune fields, and beach zones exhibited the highest levels of environmental fragility, resulting from high natural susceptibility combined with intensified anthropogenic pressures. In contrast, geomorphologically more stable units, such as pre-coastal tablelands, showed an increase in emerging environmental fragility due to the expansion of land uses incompatible with their support capacity. It is concluded that the environmental fragility of the Rio Pacoti Environmental Protection Area results from the interaction between the physical-natural organization of the landscape and land use and occupation patterns, reinforcing the importance of integrated approaches as support for planning and environmental management in coastal conservation units.