Instrumentos de gestão de áreas verdes para implementação de políticas públicas de qualidade ambiental para a cidade do Recife – PE

Abstract

The Green Area Index (GAI) and the Green Area Percentage (GAP) are important indicators for assessing urban environmental quality and guiding public policies for these areas of the city, aiming sustainable cities. These indicators are fundamental in urban planning and municipal environmental management to monitor the expansion or reduction of public open spaces and vegetation cover in the region. The green areas and public open spaces studied in the research play vital roles in mitigating urban heat, improving air quality, conserving local biodiversity and promoting habitats for fauna and flora, in addition to providing social and health benefits, such as leisure, recreation, social interaction, mental health and well-being of the population. The GAI is measured in square meters of green area per inhabitant (m2/inhabitant), while the GAP is expressed as a percentage (%) of green area. These indicators are aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 of the 2030 Agenda and with the thematic axis Local Management for Sustainability of the Sustainable Cities Program. This study aimed to estimate the environmental quality of neighborhoods in the city of Recife, capital of Pernambuco, by calculating GAI and GAP. Using geoprocessing, public open spaces and green areas were mapped, and indicators were subsequently calculated. The methodology for the GAI included two approaches: one considering areas of public open spaces and nature conservation units (NCU), and the other only areas of public open spaces. The comparison about GAI showed positive impacts when the NCU were considered, reaching or exceeding the minimum parameter of 15m2/inhab, established by the Brazilian Society of Urban Afforestation. For the GAP, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) methodology was applied, allowing the classification of the image to obtain all the urban vegetation coverage of the city. The minimum parameter recommended for the GAP was 30% of green area as a satisfactory value. The results indicated that the GAI with NCU was satisfactory in 25% of the neighborhoods, while without NCU only 6.3% reached the desired parameters. The GAP analysis revealed that 32% of neighborhoods presented positive results, highlighting the impact of vegetation on urban environmental quality and quality of life for residents. As relevant technical products of the dissertation, we highlight a dynamic panel (dashboard) with the research results and a web application to estimate the GAI in other municipalities, providing significant mechanisms and instruments for public management and sustainable urban planning.