Segurança hídrica doméstica frente à fragilidade ambiental no distrito costeiro do Pecém (São Gonçalo do Amarante – Ceará)

Abstract

Nowadays, many cities are characterized by intense pressure on natural resources and deficiencies in their water supply systems. The challenges related to these questions, along time, have captured the attention of multiple fields, resulting in concepts of water security and environmental fragility. Given the relevance of these themes, this research aimed to verify if the fragility in natural and anthropized areas of the company office in Pecém district constituted a threat to the population’s water security. Therefore, we started with a theoretical-methodological basis on domestic water security and urban environmental fragility, relying on several resources, such as the application of 255 forms in households, the evaluation of documents concerning local water infrastructure, the analysis of socioenvironmental variables in the GIS QGIS and ArcGIS®, and field excursions. Through those resources, it was observed that 82% of households use hybrid supply systems, considering the combined use of sources (general network, wells and bottled water). It was also noted that most families suffer structural problems that affect water access and quality. Concerning environmental fragility, over half the territory is located in areas with better stability conditions, associated to pre-coastal plateaus and some areas of fixed dunes, which have the highest population concentration. Through the integrated analysis of the study objects, it was determined that environmental fragility doesn’t act as a limiting factor on the water security in Pecém’s family clusters.