Identificação e análises dos modelos de extração de areia no Rio Piancó e seus impactos ambientais.

Abstract

The economic and social growth of mankind has increasingly generated demand for natural resources, especially mineral resources, causing adverse environmental impacts. Among the various mining sectors, sand extraction stands out for its economic and social importance, as well as for causing serious environmental problems. The study identified and evaluated the sand extraction models of the Piancó River, in a 110 km route, between the municipalities of Conceição and Piancó in the state of Paraiba, and qualitatively analyzed the environmental impacts resulting from this mining activity. Technical visits were made to the study area to find sand exploration sites. From the moment of locating an area, georeferencing, photocumentation, verification of legality, determination of the exploratory model and verification of impacts through the methods of interaction matrix and verification (checklist). Thirteen sand extraction areas were detected, one in Ibiara/PB, three in Diamante/PB, one in Boa Ventura/PB, five in Itaporanga/PB and three in Piancó/PB, of which eleven are illegal, which is a big problem of economic activity. The results indicate that 70% or more of the identified environmental impacts are negative, but with magnitude ranging from 1, 2 or 3, which represents low or medium magnitude of impacts. However, sand mining also has positive impacts, such as job and income generation, and is fundamental for the urban development of the cities of the Piancó Valley. Another important aspect is the de-erosion of the Piancó river channel, as it avoids flooding and retains the sediments that flow with each water year, which prevents the material from reaching reservoirs downstream. With the legalization of the activity, through the creation of a cooperative for the sandpiters (wagons, machine operators and buckets), as well as the use of measures to reduce negative environmental impacts, sand mining in the Piancó River is totally possible and feasible.