Estudo da qualidade ambiental do Rio Paraíba do Sul entre os municípios de Paraíba do Sul e Três Rios, Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The Geographic space, the living space of human beings in the close and complex relationship with the natural environment, has been undergoing several changes due to human actions. This human pressure is severe on existing water resources, which is becoming a serious problem today. The Paraíba do Sul River is the main river in the state of Rio de Janeiro and its relevance is associated not only with its social and economic importance in the regions it runs through, but also due to the different environmental impacts it suffers along its route. The main objective of this work was to carry out a survey of the environmental quality of the Paraíba do Sul river, between the municipalities of Paraíba do Sul and Três Rios in Rio de Janeiro, through the collection of bibliographic data from other authors, a photographic analysis with the ARCGIS 10.5 and the application of a Rapid Assessment Protocol (PAR). This study is a qualitative and field research. Its main results are the collection of a set of information such as the identification of destroyed riparian banks, which generates major impacts on aquatic life, reducing the diversity of species and animals and plants that survive in this ecosystem, as well as the disorderly advance of urbanization in important sections of the river. The application of PAR generated a perception of the environmental quality of the area under study for the evaluators. From the set of information gathered throughout the study, a game called Trilha do Rio Ecológico was created, which aims, through the movement of a piece along the squares on the board, to disseminate concepts regarding the importance of conserving resources. water resources, highlighting the main threats to this preservation. The game should be made available for downloads on the website www.profagua.uerj.br, in the digital library menu, product bank, for use as a teaching resource in schools in the region. This study aimed to help face environmental problems, jointly through the application of concepts from different sciences. The environmental quality of the Paraíba do Sul River is of paramount importance for the municipalities of Três Rios and Paraíba do Sul, since it is from it that the public water supply of these two cities is taken.