Análise das condições ambientais nas cabeceiras de drenagem da bacia do Rio Muriqui em São Gonçalo/Niterói (RJ): subsídios ao entendimento das características da água, relevo e uso cobertura da terra

Abstract

Given the increasing anthropogenic pressure on forest fragments in urban areas, often linked to urban expansion under the capitalist-neoliberal model of spatial production, it becomes essential to strengthen the protection of environmental systems with key regulatory functions, such as watersheds. In this context, adopting a systemic approach, this research aims to evaluate water quality in headwater sub-basins (second-order basins) of the Muriqui River, located in Niterói and São Gonçalo (RJ), which are contributors to the upper course of the Alcântara River basin. The study focuses on the interrelationships between land use and land cover, morphometry, and water quality, with an emphasis on the connections between topography, anthropogenic occupation, and physicochemical and macroscopic water parameters. As upstream areas and the first segments of the channel network, headwater systems play a strategic role in maintaining water quality (Gomi et al., 2002). This research seeks to understand how different land use patterns and topographic features influence water quality, even in basins with high forest cover. Morphometric and land use analyses were conducted using geotechnologies, along with field measurements of water quality parameters and photographic records. Results indicated limited variation in physicochemical parameters, with pH values falling below the regulatory standard at only two sampling points. Although all measured values remained within the limits established by CONAMA Resolution 357/2005, the findings reveal trends that warrant attention, particularly in areas with greater human intervention, as evidenced by point-source pollution, riparian occupation, and solid waste disposal. It is expected that this study will provide technical support for conservation, management, and environmental monitoring actions, reinforcing the need for sustainable interventions not only in the headwaters of the Muriqui River but across the entire Eastern Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro.