Usos da terra e vulnerabilidade natural e ambiental da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Boqueirão (RN)

Abstract

The disordered use of land is currently one of the major contributors to environmental issues, with various reports highlighting conflict areas and indicators of environmental degradation, such as river pollution in watersheds across the country. The literature suggests that addressing this problem involves understanding the functioning of the ecosystem in question through geoenvironmental studies, such as natural and environmental vulnerability assessments, whose results can contribute to proposing solutions for environmental restoration, territorial planning and management, and the sustainable use of natural resources. In this context, the general objective of this research is to analyze the environmental vulnerability of the BHRB, using laboratory and field data to map vulnerability indicators that can support the development and adjustment of public policies, as well as territorial planning and management projects for the BHRB. Statistical techniques, image processing, and analyses were employed, enabling the generation of physical environment maps of the basin in the first stage. The results revealed that 0.72% of the BHRB area is vulnerable, located around the Boqueirão Lagoon and the urban area of Touros/RN, with a vulnerability scale ranging from 2.4 to 2.7. Approximately 12.92% of the area is classified as moderately stable/vulnerable, 52.61% as moderately vulnerable, and 33.75% as stable areas, distributed throughout the basin. Irrigated agriculture has been expanding around the basin, increasing deforestation and pressure on water supply. Occupation processes have intensified in recent years, moving further into the basin due to the implementation of agribusiness, which has heightened the pressure on water resources. This analysis represents an important attempt to generate new information and create tools to support the environmental planning of the basin.