Índice de exposição física à inundação no bairro Matadouro, Pedreiras - MA

Abstract

Rapid urbanization has had an increasing impact on natural dynamics, and flooding is no exception. Flooding is a natural phenomenon associated with river dynamics, but in urbanized environments, it can reach disastrous levels. With the saturation of new urban centers, the population seeks ways to survive in areas considered fragile, both environmentally and socially. Thus, it is during the rainy season that the effects of anthropic actions on the environment become more noticeable and directly impact the lives of surrounding residents. This geomorphological phenomenon has been occurring with increasing frequency in Brazil, and it is in this context that the need arises to understand the factors that expose a given area to natural hazards, in the case of this research, floods, as the first step towards a detailed risk analysis. Therefore, the present study aims to analyze the index of physical exposure to flooding in the Matadouro neighborhood, Pedreiras - MA, considering the structure of the Index of Physical Exposure to Flooding - InEx. To achieve the proposed objectives, the following methodological steps were carried out: bibliographic and cartographic survey; geo-environmental characterization; delimitation and sectorization of the study area, fieldwork, and formulation of the Physical Exposure Index (InEx). The geo-environmental characteristics of the area indicate a significant potential for flooding, and urban changes reveal how geomorphological compartments have behaved in the face of these anthropogenic actions. In the analysis, sectors 1 and 6 were diagnosed with a very high physical exposure index to flooding, and sectors 2, 4, 8, and 9 presented a high level of exposure. Sectors 3, 5, and 7 were classified as having medium exposure