Abstract
In this study, we evaluated the spatial-temporal changes in three subwatersheds essential for the hydrodynamics of Jaguari River (Ribeirão das Posses, Forjos and Saltos) after the implementation of the “Conservador das Águas” project in the municipality of Extrema (MG). We used satellite images from TM-Landsat-5 from year 2006 and OLI-Landsat-8 from year 2018 to map land use and vegetation cover, and the SPRING software to classify images in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and quantify the occurrence of the classes analyzed in 2006 and 2018. After these analyses, we observed 19,77% increase in vegetation cover in the three subwatersheds. Surprisingly, we also detected a similar result in adjacent subwatersheds where the project was not implemented. Thus, this study suggests a positive effect of the “Conservador das Águas” project to the maintenance of biodiversity and hydric system functioning of that region, resulting in increased environmental quality standards and effectiveness of the environmental services for the community and its properties.
Highlights
Deforestation due to conversion of soil’s usage into productive area for agrobusiness has taken place in most of Brazil territory and it is considered responsible for the increase of surface runoff in the watersheds
Anthropic action is systematically present in the watershed, with areas destined to agriculture and livestock, with a disorganized planting of exotics that does not have proper handling and the significant increase of the degradation of the natural conditions and its fountainheads, acting as pressure agents over the watershed, even though the entire area is under jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Area (APA) “Fernão Dias” a Sustainable Use of Conservation Unit, to offset the environmental impacts caused by the duplication of the Fernão Dias Highway (BR-381)
The project “Conservador das Águas” has become an efficient environmental policy example for referring to the managing of the hydric resources, being an extremely important initiative, to the municipality of Extrema (MG) and to the whole State of São Paulo, which depends on the water provided by the Cantareira System
Summary
Deforestation due to conversion of soil’s usage into productive area for agrobusiness has taken place in most of Brazil territory and it is considered responsible for the increase of surface runoff in the watersheds. The watershed of the Rivers Piracicaba and Jaguari (PJ1) has its springs located in the territory of Minas Gerais, in the counties of Camanducaia, Itapeva, Toledo and Extrema. In the state of Minas Gerais, the watershed has a drainage area of 1.165,88 km and stands out for a significant contri-. Bution of its water to the Cantareira System, which in addition to watersheds from Rivers Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí (CBH-PCJ), are responsible for over 50% of the public supplying for the city of São Paulo (AGÊNCIA DAS BACIAS PCJ, 2013). Anthropic action is systematically present in the watershed, with areas destined to agriculture and livestock, with a disorganized planting of exotics that does not have proper handling and the significant increase of the degradation of the natural conditions and its fountainheads, acting as pressure agents over the watershed, even though the entire area is under jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Area (APA) “Fernão Dias” a Sustainable Use of Conservation Unit, to offset the environmental impacts caused by the duplication of the Fernão Dias Highway (BR-381)
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