Zoneamento socioambiental da bacia hidrográfica do rio Taperoá/PB: fragilidades, potencialidades e classificação das unidades de paisagem

Abstract

The human being constantly interacts with and takes part in the environment in which it lives and, thus, its actions may cause processes which induce the destabilization of the physical natural system’s dynamic by not respecting limits set by nature, which are necessary in order to keep harmony between the elements responsible for its functioning. The hydrographical basin of the Taperoá river, the area adopted for the study, possesses an area of approximately 5.648 km², is found in the central portion of the State of Paraíba, located in the Northeastern semiarid region. Therefore, the present study’s objective is to chart the Socioenvironmental Zoning for the hydrographical basin of the Taperoá river (PB), so as to allow for analyzing and evaluating the socioenvironmental conditions of the studied area by analyzing the interaction of socioenvironmental aspects and how they resonate in its natural and socioeconomical dynamics. The methodology made use of integrated analysis of Potential Vulnerability Unit chart (physical-natural aspects) and Emerging Vulnerability Unit chart (anthropic aspects), this being the result of the combination of the Potential Vulnerability Unit chart and the Land Use and Covering Chart, which resulted in the synthesis map and from this information the visualization and identification of Landscape Units was possible, in such a way in which five socioenvironmental zones were identified in the hydrographical basin of the Taperoá river: the Legal Protection Zone, Special Zone, Prioritary Protection and Consolidated Use Zone, Recovery Zone, Conservation and Controlled Use Zone. From the identified zones, the Special Zones must be highlighted as it presented the best conditions of Land Use and Covering, since it is in this zone in which the least fragile soils and a softer relief are found, but nevertheless, it still needs caution when used so as to not increase vulnerability of this zone, orientation being given for use in agroecological activities seeking to minimize risk of degradation in the area. While the Recovery Zone presents both higher Potential and Emergent vulnerability due to its intense use, which led to suppression of most of the essential vegetation cover for the good functioning of the hydric dynamic of the hydrographical basin. With this being considered, from the correlation of the information on both the physical-nature and socioeconomics it is possible to individualize the basin’s landscape, which contributes for the identification of socioenvironmental zones, and thus offers a better understanding of the impact deriving from different forms of use in each sector of the basin, in a way in which it may be possible to conciliate not only the maintenance of environmental balance, but also the socioeconomical development of the studied area.