Free Geographic Information System Research Articles

Adaptive cloudiness index for enhanced photovoltaic energy prediction and management in low-income smart homes using geographic information system

Solar-powered homes can be an optimal solution for the lack of continuous power sources problem in initial low-income communities. However, the challenge of Photovoltaic (PV) uncertainty can make it difficult to coordinate this vital solar energy in real-time. This paper proposes a new, low-cost solution for assessing the uncertainty of photovoltaic power generation in smart home energy management systems. The proposed index, inspired by the well-known clearness index, is an adaptive deterministic indicator that only requires free Geographic Information System (GIS) models and PV power measurement, without the need for expensive high-tech controllers or expert engineers/programmers. The proposed index successfully predicts the daily PV energy with errors of less than 3% for more than 93% of studied days, according to the 2020 measured solar radiation of the studied case in an African developing location, i.e. Cairo. Egypt.

How can GIS support the evaluation and design of biodiverse agroecosystems and landscapes? Applying the Main Agroecological Structure to European agroecosystems

Agrobiodiversity plays a critical role in fostering the stability, resilience, and sustainability of European farming systems. Nonetheless, there is currently a lack of comprehensive methods to describe its spatial distribution within farms, its connectivity with the surrounding landscape, and, most crucially, how the perceptions and actions of human communities affect it. The Main Agroecological Structure (MAS) has recently been proposed as an environmental index aiming to tackle such challenges by promoting a dialogue between landscape ecology and agroecology, encompassing criteria that focus on both landscape parameters and cultural variables. Geographic information systems (GIS) can play a key role in the measurement of the index by leveraging public geodata and engaging with the direct participation of communities to map the territories they inhabit and cultivate. Nevertheless, their use in this context has not yet been studied. We propose here a new GIS-based approach for estimating the Main Agroecological Structure: landscape criteria are assessed through the hybrid use of free and open-source GIS tools, field samplings, and participative mapping methods; cultural parameters are evaluated through semi-structured interviews. Contextually to the definition of such methodological foundations, the present study tests the relevance of the index to European agroecological contexts by applying the proposed workflow to three Italian farms characterized by different territorial and organizational forms. Along with a few modifications to the original proposal, we highlight the relevance of GIS in making agrobiodiversity visible at a landscape level within the context of the index. We also suggest some potential future applications related to local empowerment and agroecosystem mapping.

Geolocalization of apiaries in areas at risk of natural disasters using Geographic Information Systems in Villa Clara, Cuba

The honey bee depends on environmental conditions for its optimal development, its food base must be in healthy ecosystems and in equilibrium with diverse and abundant blooms, as well as abundant water. Cuba is exposed to different natural hazards and is affected every year by extreme meteorological phenomena. The objective of the study was to georeferenced apiaries in areas at risk to natural disasters in order to establish beekeeping reorganization and mitigation measures based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The work was carried out in Villa Clara province, Cuba. 100% of the apiaries and beehives were identified and an informative platform was created to locate them with the agroecosystem and their environment. The program Quantum GIS (QGIS, 2013) version 3.2.1 was used, a commercial and free GIS package for the basics of geospatial research, which made it possible to create an interactive platform of thematic layers for the evaluation and geographic analysis in relation to the apiaries and their environmental surroundings. The design of the information platform with thematic layers based on GIS facilitated the visualization of areas densely populated by beehives with bee colonies, the integral analysis of beekeeping agroecosystems, the identification and georeferencing of apiaries in areas at risk from natural disasters, and made it possible to establish measures for beekeeping reorganization and mitigation of meteorological events, such as flooding due to heavy rains, sea penetration, strong winds, and forest fires.

Remote monitoring of the consequences of hostilities on the territory of the Kharkiv region

With connection with the full-scale Russian military aggression, the issue of clear spatial fixation of violations of natural complexes and their components has become extremely urgent. The consequences of projectiles and rockets, fires that arose as a result of shelling, military fortification activities, etc. led to the direct disturbance of landscapes, as well as their chemical pollution. This, in turn, has an extremely negative impact on the state of the environment and leads to indirect impacts. The quality of drinking water and crop production is deteriorating, soil fertility is decreasing, and the biodiversity of the territories is decreasing. Purpose. The possibilities of fixing and monitoring damage to land resources based on the use of free space images and free geoinformation software. Methods. Space images of the Planet Scope apparatus were taken as the information basis. Viewing, uploading and analysis of images took place in the free geographic information system (GIS) QGIS 3.12 Results. The research was conducted on the territory of Rohan settlement united territorial community (SOTG), which is located in the Kharkiv district of the Kharkiv region. According to the method of monitoring natural and agricultural land, deciphering data from space images shows that in 2022, 916 explosions were formed as a result of shelling of the territory of Rohansk SOTG. A set of maps related to the explosive danger and chemical contamination of the territory of the Rohansk SOTG was created, the decoding of space images of the territory of the Rogansk SOTG in different periods of time was carried out. Following the monitoring of agricultural lands, traces of bomb-trubbing were recorded. Maps of the results of recording the effects of bombing, a thermal map of the density of eddies, a map of the hydrological analysis of the territory that may be polluted as a result of bombing have been created. Conclusions. The methodology for monitoring natural and agricultural lands based on space survey data was developed. The created set of maps related to the explosive danger and chemical pollution of the territory of Rohansk SOTG can be used for planning further studies of the state of the environment and rationalization of economic activity.

ANALYSIS OF GEOMORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SKIING TRACKS FOR TOURISTIC POTENTIAL EVALUATION OF UKRAINIAN CARPATHIANS

The aim of the paper is to evaluate the quality of skiing tracks in the Ukrainian Carpathians. To do this we suppose to define a set of geomorphological characteristics of skiing tracks and determine theirs influence value on the tracks specialization and its suitability for skiing, also assess the touristic potential of the ski resorts of the Ukrainian Carpathians.
 Methods and approaches of research borrowed from a similar study on the avalanches danger estimation of other ski resorts. We obtained a number of geomorphological characteristics of the tracks and visually estimated the quality of its bed using created lengthwise and cross-section profiles of skiing slopes using a digital relief model. The visual analysis identified the areas for braking, as well as significant inequalities, protracted areas and track parts with inversed inclination which make worse the quality of the skiing and is danger the skiers.
 So the main research method is the cartographic modeling. We selected 7 ski resorts located in different parts of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The profiles were created using free Geographic Information System QGIS and open geospatial data of radar survey of the Earth's surface (SRTM and ASTER GDEM). We also compared received results with foreign similar studies. Scientific novelty. There are defined the set of geomorphological characteristics of a ski slope in the article. There are the length of the track (or its horizontal projection), the level difference and the derivative characteristic is the steepness of the slope (as well as its maximum and minimum values). This list was supplemented by cross-section profiles description (it may be convex, bent, flat or inclined). Altogether we compared 24 tracks of the Ukrainian Carpathians. There are created lengthwise and cross-section profiles for each of them and all results put into a table presented in the article.
 Practical results. We made a conclusion that the skiing slopes of the Ukrainian Carpathians have similar geomorphological characteristics in most cases. The average slope of the tracks is 9.5°. The maximum value is 13° and the minimum is about 3°. The length of the tracks varies from 1 to 4 km and the length of majority of them is not excites of 1.8 km. The height difference is from 50 m to 550 m, the average mean is 315 m, which is not quite long. The configurations of the most horizontal profiles are convex or even, which is not optimal for skiing. In addition, the presence of hills makes “blind zones” which limit the visibility of the track and can cause a collision of skiers. Most of skiing track beds has convex cross-section profiles or they are significantly declined, which is also not an advantage.
 Based on the received metric values we defined the weak and strong sides of the national resorts. The ski slopes haven’t many complexity categories and are interesting for amateur skiers. Therefore the national resorts give way to foreign ones even located in the Carpathians which have a greater variety and more levels of complexity of tracks. This circumstance can be an obstacle to maintenance of tracks and increase requirements for corresponding equipment. So national skiing resorts should focus on pricing policies and territorial accessibility.

Design and Development of a Collaborative App with Accessibility Information about Tourist Sites

Introduction: Accessibility can help people with disabilities to participate actively in the society with equal access and equal opportunities. Accessible tourism enables people to become more included and enjoy tourism experiences. Technology has facilitated tourism for people with disabilities and a Geographic Information System (GIS) can provide the tourist guidance, navigable digital maps and enable the searching of places information. Purpose: The objective of this paper is to describe the development of a collaborative app with accessibility information in order to help people with disabilities planning and moving more independently. Method: To develop this work a research about GIS apps related to disabled people was carried out, a pilot project to validate the idea and the app development proposed. Results: The accessible places map was developed using free GIS technologies and is available for download in Google Play Store. Conclusions: The app will help people with disabilities to move more safely and comfortably, and the increase of public data in GIS by the civil engagement.

COVID-19 Infection and Previous BCG Vaccination Coverage in the Ecuadorian Population.

The Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) is a well-known vaccine with almost a century of use, with the apparent capability to improve cytokine production and epigenetics changes that could develop a better response to pathogens. It has been postulated that BCG protection against SARS-CoV-2 has a potential role in the pandemic, through the presence of homologous amino acid sequences. To identify a possible link between BCG vaccination coverage and COVID-19 cases, we used official epidemic data and Ecuadorian Ministry of Health and Pan American Health Organization vaccination information. BCG information before 1979 was available only at a national level. Therefore, projections based on the last 20 years were performed, to compare by specific geographic units. We used a Mann–Kendall test to identify BCG coverage variations, and mapping was conducted with a free geographic information system (QGIS). Nine provinces where BCG vaccine coverage was lower than 74.25% show a significant statistical association (χ2 Pearson’s = 4.800, df = 1, p = 0.028), with a higher prevalence of cases for people aged 50 to 64 years than in younger people aged 20 to 49 years. Despite the availability of BCG vaccination data and the mathematical models needed to compare these data with COVID-19 cases, our results show that, in geographic areas where BCG coverage was low, 50% presented a high prevalence of COVID-19 cases that were young; thus, low-coverage years were more affected.

Elaboration of Geotechnical Thematic Maps in Urban Areas

In urban areas it is difficult to access natural terrain due to strong human intervention. Therefore, any exposure of the natural terrain is considered an important source of geological and geotechnical data collection. The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has been responsible to provide great development in geotechnical cartography, particularly in urban environment, using geographic databases and new analysis tools. Our goal is to create a geographical database that will allow and/or improve the elaboration of geotechnical thematic maps, using cartographic data of open platforms combined with free and open source GIS software. In the presented study our focus was related with the identification of the granite alteration degree...Through the geographical database, along with the geological map of the study area, the areas related to the degree of granite alteration were identified and delimited. The data were collected through “Street View” which results from the integration of a specific module in the GIS software (QGIS). The obtained data were validated by direct observation and were photographically recorded. This approach proved to be an effective method, with no significant differences when compared with direct observations. The methods’ limitations are the quality of some “Street View” images, and the existent subjectivity related to the observer in the identification of the degree of alteration of the rocky massif. Its advantage is to reduce the data collection’s time and the possibility of comparing the same place at different time points.

Quantum GIS (QGIS): An introduction to a free alternative to more costly GIS platforms

Geographic information system (GIS) software packages can be prohibitively expensive, causing many to shy away from mapping and spatial analysis. This 7-page fact sheet written by Jeffry M. Flenniken, Steven Stuglik, and Basil V. Iannone III and published by the UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation introduces the reader to a free GIS software package called Quantum GIS (QGIS), walking the reader through simple GIS processes that can be used to visualize spatial patterns of importance to a variety of fields, including natural resources, agriculture, and urban planning. Learn how to create a land-cover map for a county of interest and create heatmaps that illustrate the density of a given attribute (Florida Springs for this example). This publication will benefit those interested in incorporating GIS into their work but who are unable to afford expensive proprietary GIS software packages, as well as anyone interested in learning a new GIS software package. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr428

Geographical accessibility to permanent care centers of family doctors from Bihor County, Romania

Abstract Accessibility (geographic or spatial) to health services is a component of health care services access that through measurement can assess inequities in health. Geographical accessibility can be measured using a geographic information system (GIS) where travel time is calculated from the patient’s home to the place where a service is delivered. Permanent care centers of family doctors (PCCs) are units providing family medicine services (consultations, injections, solving minor emergencies) outside the work schedule of family doctors (night and holiday), for overloading prevention of emergency hospitals services by direct addressing or by calling to the unique emergency number 112. Bihor County has 617118 inhabitants in the 101 administrative-territorial units (458 localities), 334 family medicine practices, and there were 34 PCCs. We intended to identify the number of localities in more than 10, 20 or 30 minutes of travel by car from the PCC (based on end-2018 data). A GIS was created using the QGIS application, which includes layers: the county border, the 454 localities and the georeferenced addresses of PCC. Using the ORS Tools plug-in, the appropriate isochrones were created. Then overlapping isochrones and localities (points), the number of localities for which the travel time to the nearest PCC is greater than 10, 20 and 30 minutes, respectively, was obtained. The time needed for the inhabitants to reach the PCC is: more than 10 minutes for 247 localities; more than 20 minutes for 81 localities and over 30 minutes for 10 localities. The results are presented in the form of maps and in tabular form (localities). Using GIS, accessibility to medical services in a territory (city, county, country) can be measured. The application of free GIS software, QGIS, requires hardware, staff training, procedures (for work and decision-making) to research and improve population access to health services. Key messages Access to health services can be assessed using geographic information systems. The use of appropriate maps facilitates decision making to optimize health services.

Manual geo-rectification to improve the spatial accuracy of ortho-mosaics based on images from consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

The global spatial accuracy of ortho-mosaics based on images from consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is relatively low. The use of ground control points (GCPs) improves the accuracy but it requires RTK-GNSS (global navigation satellite system) measurements in the field. The objective of this study was to evaluate manual geo-rectification after ortho-mosaicking as a cost-effective alternative to GCPs or UAVs equipped with RTK-GNSS. Google Earth images and A-B lines used for tractor auto-steering were used for manual geo-rectification with a free geographic information system (GIS) and remote-sensing (RS) software (QGIS). Two different photogrammetry software (Agisoft Photoscan and Pix4DMapper) were used for ortho-mosaicking. Images were captured in three fields at two altitudes (40 and 80 m) with a multi-rotor camera drone equipped with a GNSS without ground reference (Phantom 4). The results showed that flight altitude and photogrammetry software had no impact on the spatial accuracy and that manual geo-rectification significantly improved the spatial accuracy. Root mean squares (RMSEs) for ortho-mosaics without geo-rectification was in the range of 4 to 28 m and the range was 0.6 to 2.5 m and 0.5 to 1.1 m for geo-rectification based on Google Earth images and A-B-lines, respectively. RTK-GNSS tagged UAV images and the use of GCPs gave average RMSEs of less than 0.1 m. It was concluded that manual geo-rectification offers a feasible alternative to GCPs and UAVs with RTK-GNSS when spatial accuracy of about 1 m is acceptable.

GIS-based Analysis of Temporal Evolution of Rural Landscape: A Case Study in Southern Italy

The apparent features of a rural landscape are the final result of the interaction among several natural and anthropic factors. The analysis of a landscape, as well as the identification of its best management strategies, can be improved when useful information about its modifications along a wide time period is available, so as to assess the effect of the transformations that have taken place there. The implementation within a geographic information system (GIS) of geographical information derived from ancient historical maps, combined with modern digital cartography and recent remote sensing images may provide a very powerful tool for a better-informed analysis and targeted decision-making strategies about the most appropriate rural landscape planning. With the purpose to detect the land use changes in a typical rural landscape in the Basilicata Region (Southern Italy), spatial analysis using free and open-source GIS tools, in which data covering a period of about two centuries, from 1829 to 2017, were implemented. This multi-temporal analysis was carried out to investigate the landscape structure transformations through the assessment of land use change and the implementation of a methodology for the identification of areas in which there has been a natural evolution of the rural landscape. Then, using landscape metrics and spatial analysis tools, some areas in which the landscape has naturally evolved without any anthropic intervention during these 188 years have been identified, and changes occurred on the rural landscape were assessed quantitatively.

Spatial progression of estate property management system with customized freeware GIS

Estate property management system mainly deals with geographical area with associated information for monitoring and managing estate properties. Geographic Information System (GIS) has potential to handle spatial and aspatial data in a single platform which makes GIS a favourable choice for estate property management system. The availability of free and open source GIS helped this technology affordable and popular in large number of applications. Hence there is a demand to develop a new or upgrade an existing non-GIS based system to a GIS based property management system. In this paper a novel case study is presented where an Oracle based system is integrated with GIS platform using freeware ArcGIS Explorer (AGX) customization. The integration of dynamic data from Oracle server is challenging due to non-supportive database type in AGX. The issue is overcome by introducing an intermediate file handling mechanism in the GIS interface using Oracle client in .net frame work. The proposed system can run in multiple nodes in a local area network and capable of fetching data from Oracle server. It serves user queries on both spatial and aspatial data that enables spatial visualisation of aspatial data.

2D PWV monitoring of a wide and orographically complex area with a low dense GNSS network

This study presents an innovative procedure to monitor the precipitable water vapor (PWV) content of a wide and orographically complex area with low-density networks. The procedure, termed G4M (global navigation satellite system, GNSS, for Meteorology), has been developed in a geographic information system (GIS) environment using the free and open source GRASS GIS software (https://grass.osgeo.org). The G4M input data are zenith total delay estimates obtained from GNSS permanent stations network adjustment and pressure (P) and temperature (T) observations using existing infrastructure networks with different geographic distributions in the study area. In spite of the wide sensor distribution, the procedure produces 2D maps with high spatiotemporal resolution (up to 250 m and 6 min) based on a simplified mathematical model including data interpolation, which was conceived by the authors to describe the atmosphere’s physics. In addition to PWV maps, the procedure provides ∆PWV and heterogeneity index maps: the former represents PWV variations with respect to a “calm” moment, which are useful for monitoring the PWV evolution; and the latter are promising indicators to localize severe meteorological events in time and space. This innovative procedure is compared with meteorological simulations in this paper; in addition, an application to a severe event that occurred in Genoa (Italy) is presented.

The expression of neotectonics in the Pantanal da Nhecolândia, State of Mato Grosso do Sul - Brazil.

Pantanal da Nhecolândia is one of the most well-preserved areas in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Located in the southern part of the Taquari River megafan, it is in tectonic contact with the fault escarpments of the Maracaju-Campo Grande plateaus to the east and with the fault escarpments of the Bodoquena plateau to the west, which continue to north. To the south and to the north, the limits are marked respectively by the lineaments of the Negro and Taquari Rivers. Nhecolândia is characterized by the existence of at least 17,631 lagoons, 17,050 (96.70 %) of which are of fresh water (baías) and 577 (3.3 %) of salty water (salinas). Studies based on (Landsat) satellite images and use of free software (QGIS, version 2.8.3) and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) revealed that the major axes of the lagoons are aligned along two directions, NE (62.49 %) and NW (37.51 %), with modes concentrated between N30-40E and N30-40W, suggesting in both cases the role played by tectonic control (neotectonics) in their formation. Evidences of fluvial origin are presented for these groups of lagoons, as well as for their tectonic alignment.

Geographic Information System for Pigweed Distribution in the US Southeast

AbstractIn the southeastern United States, Amaranthus, or pigweed species, have become troublesome weeds in agricultural systems. To implement management strategies for the control of these species, agriculturalists need information on areas affected by pigweeds. Geographic information systems (GIS) afford users the ability to evaluate agricultural issues at local, county, state, national, and global levels. Also, they allow users to combine different layers of geographic information to help them develop strategic plans to solve problems. Furthermore, there is a growing interest in testing free and open-source GIS software for weed surveys. In this study, the free and open-source software QGIS was used to develop a geographic information database showing the distribution of pigweeds at the county level in the southeastern United States. The maps focused on the following pigweeds: Palmer amaranth, redroot pigweed, and tall waterhemp. Cultivated areas and glyphosate-resistant (GR) pigweed data were added to the GIS database. Database queries were used to demonstrate applications of the GIS for precision agriculture applications at the county level, such as tallying the number of counties affected by the pigweeds, identifying counties reporting GR pigweed, and identifying cultivated areas located in counties with GR pigweeds. This research demonstrated that free and open-source software such as QGIS has strong potential as a decision support tool, with implications for precision weed management at the county scale.

SIG Contribution in the Making of Geotechnical Maps in Urban Areas

The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has spread to several science areas, from oceanography to geotechnics. Its application in the urban mapping was intensified in the last century, which allowed a great development, due to the use of geographic database, new analysis tools and, more recently, free open source software.Geotechnical cartography struggle with a permanent and large environment re-organization in urban area, due to new building construction, trenching and the drilling of sampling wells and holes. This creates an extra important and largest volume of data at any pre-existence geological map. The main problem results on the fact that the natural environment is covered with buildings and communications system. The purpose of this work is to create a viable geographic information base for geotechnical mapping through a free GIS computer program and open source, with non-traditional cartographic sources, giving preference to open platforms. QGIS was used as software and “Google Maps”, “Bing Maps” and “OpenStreetMap” were applied as cartographic sources using the “OpenLayers plugin” module. Finally, we also pretend to identify and delimit the degree of granite’s change and fracturing areas using a “Streetview” platform.This model has cartographic input which are a geological map study area, open cartographic web archives and the use of “Streetview” platform. The output has several layouts, such as topography intersection (roads, borders, etc.), with geological map and the bordering area of Guarda Urban Zone. The use of this platform types decrease the collect data time and, sometimes, a careful observation of pictures that were taken during excavations may reveal important details for geological mapping in the study area.

Effects of Using Different Sources of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System Data on Urban Stormwater 2D–1D Modeling

Remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) data is increasingly used in urban stormwater modeling. The undirected use of such data may waste economic and human resources. In order to provide guidance for practitioners to efficiently use different data collection resources, as well as give a reference for future works, this paper aims to assess the effects of using free access GIS data and ad hoc RS data on urban 2D–1D stormwater modeling. The 2D-surface Two-dimensional Runoff, Erosion, and Export model (TREX) model was published in Science of the Total Environment in 2008. The 1D-sewer CANOE (Logiciel integre de conception et de diagnostic des reseaux d’assainissement) model was published in Journal of Hydrology in 2004. The two models are integrated in the TRENOE (TREX-CANOE) platform. The modeling approach is applied to a small urban catchment near Paris (Le Perreux sur Marne, 0.12 km2). Simulation results reveal that the detailed land-use information derived from multiple data sources is a crucial factor for accurate simulations. Nevertheless, using the very high resolution LiDAR (light detection and ranging) data is not equally significant for the water flow simulations at sewage outlets. Finally, we suggest that using the free access GIS data accompanying the urban sewer network design might be an acceptable low-cost solution for accurate urban 2D–1D stormwater modeling during moderate rainfall events. Further studies of urban stormwater modeling could focus on the development of “suitable” models with “enough” input data, depending on the management/research objectives.

Simple Rules for an Efficient Use of Geographic Information Systems in Molecular Ecology

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are becoming increasingly popular in the context of molecular ecology and conservation biology thanks to their display options efficiency, flexibility and management of geodata. Indeed, spatial data for wildlife and livestock species is becoming a trend with many researchers publishing genomic data that is specifically suitable for landscape studies. GIS uniquely reveal the possibility to overlay genetic information with environmental data and, as such, allow us to locate and analyze genetic boundaries of various plant and animal species or to study gene-environment associations (GEA). This means that, using GIS, we can potentially identify the genetic bases of species adaptation to particular geographic conditions or to climate change. However, many biologists are not familiar with the use of GIS and underlying concepts and thus experience difficulties in finding relevant information and instructions on how to use them. In this paper, we illustrate the power of free and open source GIS approaches and provide essential information for their successful application in molecular ecology. First, we introduce key concepts related to GIS than are too often overlooked in the literature, for example coordinate systems, GPS accuracy and scale. We then provide an overview of the most employed open-source GIS-related software, file formats and refer to major environmental databases. We also reconsider sampling strategies as high costs of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) data currently diminish the number of samples that can be sequenced per location. Thereafter, we detail methods of data exploration and spatial statistics suited for the analysis of large genetic datasets. Finally, we provide suggestions to properly edit maps and to make them as comprehensive as possible, either manually or trough programming languages.

Urban Settlement Spatial Analysis in Permanent Preservation Area of M’boicy Watershed River, Foz do Iguaçu City in Brazil

Irregular urban settlement increases environmental impacts, especially when these occupations occur in fragile location, as the environmental preservation areas. In these areas, also defined as Permanent Preservation Area (PPA), the presence of watersheds is common, which is the factor that increases the need of protecting them from anthropic actions. Those actions deteriorate the environment and mainly the watercourses. This research objective is to identify and estimate the environmental risks of M’Boyci watershed River PPA occupied areas by urban population. The risk analysis approach, at this PPA in Foz do Iguacu City in Brazil, is able to support public interventions in order to reestablish the PPA natural conditions. To reach this goal, it was necessary to use cartographical representation images, generated from digital orthophotos analyzed through free geographical information systems. The overlap and the contrast of geographical data related to preservation in urban areas show that urban occupation reaches almost 40% of the permanent preservation area. Complementarily, it is evidenced that the development of a risk map identifies PPA areas characterized by a greater concentration of irregular settlement, contributing to the planning process of residents, relocation actions and recovery of degraded areas.