Uso e degradação dos recursos naturais no Semiárido Brasileiro: estudo na microbacia hidrográfica do Rio Farinha, Paraíba, Brasil.

Abstract

A watershed is an area where it settled interrelationships between natural constituent elements of the landscape and human activities. The Brazilian semiarid region that occupies 11% of the country, is characterized by irregular rainfall in time and space, with high xerophilic vegetation and intermittent water courses and low human development indices. This study evaluated the use and conservation of natural resources and listed strategies of coexistence developed in the watershed of the Farinha River, state of Paraiba, Brazil, confined between the geographical coordinates 07°01'39" to 07°16'50" South latitude and 36º43' 41" to 37°16'28" longitude west of Greenwich, an area of 822.7 square kilometers, which includes the Watershed Piranhas-Acu. The methodology is based on the technique of case study, with the use of GIS techniques, and field research. Understood the execution of four steps. The first is concerned with the delimitation of Farinha River Watershed, the second the identification of diffuse environmental impacts resulting from the improper management of land, pollution from sources water supply for liquid waste coming from different sources, deposition of irregular solid waste, the breach of Environmental Legislation in relation to the legal reserve and riparian vegetation and agricultural production through the use of pesticides. The third phase consisted of the survey and preliminary analysis of three areas of environmental impacts off: mining activity in Salgadinho, agricultural crops in Teixeira and disposal of municipal solid waste in Patos. The fourth and last phase consisted of presentation of alternatives for coexistence with the semiarid implanted in the area of study, with emphasis on technologies to capture and store water and agricultural practices family-based on agroecological. It was identified that human activities ignore the impacts that may occur downstream of those activities, monoculture, the practice of mining, the deposition of solid and liquid waste are examples of activities performed without the use of mitigation measures. Regarding the use and access to water for the growth of public policies related to the use of social technologies relating to water storage and practices seeking to use it rationally. Such adapted technologies occur in a timely manner, needing to its dissemination so that they minimize the negative environmental impacts arising from agricultural activities, while meet human needs.