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Environmental fragility framework for water supply systems: a case study in the Paulista Macro Metropolis area (SE Brazil)

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Abstract

Water resources availability is increasingly constrained, considering the quality and quantity available for use. There is an urgent need of recovering this availability, focusing on the planning and management process of water supply systems. One of the main threats to water resources is related to erosion effects, namely widespread pollution load and the silting of watercourses and reservoirs useful life reduction. The objective of this study was to evaluate water supply systems environmental fragility within the Paulista Macro Metropolis area and to use the results to develop environmental zone classes to orient territorial planning. The study was conducted in seven superficial water supply systems of the aforementioned region. Environmental fragility evaluation was focused on four environmental variables that represent natural vulnerability to erosion, and 2015 land cover map to delineate human influence on erosive processes. Results indicate that Tietê River water supply systems, namely Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí (PCJ) and Itupararanga systems, can be considered the most fragile water supply systems in the study area. The environmental fragility map was used to derive the environmental zoning map, including conservation and priority areas, suitable regions for agriculture expansion, and areas with high needs for restoration efforts. In addition, environmental fragility framework herein can be viewed as a model with high replication potential for regional planning and management in that land cover can be manipulated to minimize environment natural vulnerability, guiding territorial occupation toward a more sustainable landscape design, which subsidizes water resources multiple uses.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to innumerable people from the Democracy and Sustainability Institute—IDS NGO and the GIS Laboratory of the Polytechnic School of Engineering of the University of São Paulo—USP, for cooperation and support during study development, including João Paulo Capobianco, Ph.D. Juliana Cibim, Guilherme Checco, Leandro Santos, Dr. Mariana Abrantes Giannotti, Ph.D. Claudia Soares Machado, Mariana Piesco and Alan Costa Nunes. We also thank Ph.D. Mariana Abrantes Giannotti and Ph.D. Juliana Cassano Cibim for helpful reviews of the manuscript. This study was funded by IDS NGO (March 2015—August 2016), and it is part of the water resources agenda of the technical—scientific partnership between IDS NGO, Energy and Environment Institute (IEE-USP) and the Laboratory of the Polytechnic School of Engineering of University of São Paulo (USP). Finally, we thank CNPq for grant conceded to Ph.D. José Alberto Quintanilha.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy and Environmental Institute, University of São Paulo, Box 05508-900, Avenida Professor Luciano Gualberto, 1289, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil

    B. B. Cruz

  2. Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo, Box 05508-900, Av. Prof. Almeida Prado, Travessa 2, no. 83, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, Brazil

    L. A. Manfré, D.S. Ricci, D. Brunoro, L. Appolinario Jr. & J. A. Quintanilha

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  1. B. B. Cruz
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  2. L. A. Manfré
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  3. D.S. Ricci
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  5. L. Appolinario Jr.
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  6. J. A. Quintanilha
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Correspondence to B. B. Cruz.

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Cruz, B.B., Manfré, L.A., Ricci, D. et al. Environmental fragility framework for water supply systems: a case study in the Paulista Macro Metropolis area (SE Brazil). Environ Earth Sci 76, 441 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6778-3

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