Actions of Basins Committees and the risks to floodings and droughts: a comparative study in river basins in the Brazilian Southeast and Northeast regions

Abstract

The environmental study has offered, especially in recent decades, an interdisciplinary character in the researches guided on the dynamics of natural agents against the growing pressure in use of space, materialized by conflicts of various orders, whether historical, political, religious, and finally, human relationships that are structured on the territory and impose to this space several levels of interference in the pre-existing natural mechanism. In this context, to understand the relationships between human societies and nature, in an absolute dynamics perspective, wich involves cultural, social, economic and natural aspects and requires an analytical procedure that considers the society in its various stages of development, remembering a holistic view of the organization of space. Thus, the geographical science, having as object of analysis the geographical space allows, under a critical point of view, carrying out integrated environmental studies in order to give technical and scientific support for the elaboration of studies such as those related to management of water resources which can be inserted in public policies, contributing in the planning and decision-making. Considering the above, this research project proposes to analyze how the problems related to floodings and droughts are dealt in different basins committees in the Brazilian Southeast and Northeast regions. In order to meet this proposal, this project aims to inventory the geosystems and anthropic systems in the study area; verify what actions provided for the river basin plans are indicated to flooding and/or droughts episodes; characterize the areas prone to floodings and/or droughts and point the frequency of these phenomena in each study site; define the profile of the population exposed to the risks of flooding and/or drought in the study areas; elaborate social and environmental vulnerability maps for each river basin in study; and identify what the dialogue between the basin committees, Civil Defense and Conservation Units with respect to actions and public policies to mitigate flooding and/or drought. In order to meet the proposed objectives, this research project adopts the systemic approach, correlating the natural and social attributes constituents of landscapes. It is important to know the dynamics of natural attributes, its fragility and vulnerability to natural disasters such as flooding and droughts, during periods of heavy precipitation and/or in its absence, as well as to know the characteristics of the population to be potentially reached, in terms of use and occupation of land, economic activities and historical and cultural heritage to be affected by such disasters. Thus, the Research Center for Analysis, Planning and Management of River Basins proposes to make a comparative study between the lower course of the Iguapé and Muriaé river basins (Southeast region) and the middle course of Itapicuru and Salitre river basins (Northeast region). (AU)