Environmental Problems in the Lagoa Santa Karst

Abstract

Evolution of any karst environment will inevitably undergo different levels of changes related to two main factors: natural evolution processes and anthropogenic interventions. Numerous and recurring environmental problems have been identified in the Lagoa Santa Karst, such as deforestation, water pollution, damage to paleontological and archeological records, uncontrolled use of groundwater causing modifications to water dynamics, and geotechnical problems. The majority of these problems are consequences of human occupation characterized in the region by deficient sanitation infrastructure, unplanned land occupation, lack of institutional articulation and empowerment, and industrial and mining activities. In karst regions, these issues become even more critical since natural fragility of the environment is higher than that in any other system due to the inherent dissolution of carbonate rocks and its associated hydrological processes. Anthropogenic occupation processes doubled the urbanized area in the karst region of Lagoa Santa within the last 20 years, maintaining and increasing some of the environmental problems that have been identified since the 1990s. These issues have prevailed during the urbanization history of the Lagoa Santa Karst and seem to have no endpoint because the stakeholders have not provided any straightforward plans to establish specific environmental directives. All of these factors highlight the need to intensify social and educational actions at all levels to emphasize the importance of the karst environment and its associated fragility as the root of all the environmental problems. The population must understand their importance and role in preserving natural resources and how significant their presence is for the overall sustainability of the karst environment and its natural attribute; otherwise, no other action will be efficient enough for preservation of the karst environment.