Gestão do risco ambiental urbano no Açude de Bodocongó em Campina Grande/PB.

Abstract

The research addressed urban environmental risk management in Vila dos Teimosos, a community located on the banks of the Bodocongó Reservoir in Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. The community is characterized by disorderly settlement, lack of basic infrastructure, and constant exposure to flooding and environmental degradation. The overall objective of the study was to analyze urban environmental risk management in irregular areas along the banks of the Bodocongó Reservoir in Campina Grande, Paraíba. Specific objectives included the socioeconomic characterization of the population, the analysis of occupation and permanence processes, the application of the Urban Environmental Risk Management Index (IGRAU) to measure the level of risk exposure, and the development of proposals based on national experiences in urbanization of high-risk areas. The methodology adopted was an integrative approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Twenty structured questionnaires were administered to consolidate a sample for collecting socioeconomic data, oral history interviews were conducted to recover social memory and understand residents' perceptions of risks, and field visits with photographic records were conducted for environmental characterization. The IGRAU (Institute of Environmental Quality) scale was used as an analytical tool to classify the level of risk, considering indicators such as housing materials, sanitation, accessibility, community perception, and observed environmental impacts. The results revealed that the community has a mature age profile, with residents who have lived there for more than three decades. Low education levels and financial constraints reinforce their persistence, even in the face of chronic vulnerabilities. Risk perception is high, averaging 7.7 on a scale of 0 to 10, and residents indicated the implementation of a sewage system, urban drainage, improved garbage collection, and environmental education initiatives as the main solutions. The research concluded that managing urban environmental risk in Vila dos Teimosos is a challenge that requires structural measures, but also participatory public policies and socio-educational initiatives. IGRAU has proven effective in diagnosing vulnerabilities and guiding urban planning, enabling the identification of investment priorities. Risk reduction involves implementing sanitation infrastructure, drainage projects, revitalizing the reservoir's surroundings, and strengthening community participation.