Uso do sensoriamento remoto e sig na caracterização das áreas de preservação permanente às margens do Rio Tapacurá: um estudo na zona urbana do município de Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, Brasil

Abstract

Permanent Preservation Areas (PPA) are protected areas under Forest Code whose environmental role is to preserve the water resources, landscape, geological stability and biodiversity, facilitate gene flow of fauna and flora, soil protection and ensure well-being of human populations. Despite being legally protected, it is known that these areas have been occupied throughout the country, especially in urban spots of municipalities as a result of the accelerated and uncontrolled urbanization. This process causes various environmental impacts that involve direct damage to health and human life. In this context, the aim of this study was to characterize the PPA on the river Tapacurá in the urban center of the town of Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, in order to collect data that support decision making by the local public authorities with regard to the restriction of illegal occupation, improvement of sanitation systems and recovery of degraded areas. For this, were used remote sensing products and was carried out field work, which enabled the updating of information for the studied area. The information was entered into a Geographic Information System (GIS). By the Forest Code, the total calculated area, for the study area, was 729,500 m², of which 361,900 m² for PPA in the right bank and 367,600 m² for PPA in the left bank. The total area of riparian forest fragments was 115.267,85 m² while the anthropically occupied area was 79.305,15 m². The main results were critical points of degradation in PPA of the river Tapacurá as the deposition of various solid waste on the banks, dumping of domestic sewage in the watercourse, grounding of the banks with construction waste and siltation of the river channel. The techniques used in this work were appropriated and allowed achieve the objective. The GIS generated in this work will be available to local authorities for environmental management by the relevant bodies.