SOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORS AND DESERTIFICATION IN THE UPPER COURSE OF THE PARAÍBA RIVER WATERSHED1

ALVES, TELMA LUCIA BEZERRA; AZEVEDO, PEDRO VIEIRA DE; CÂNDIDO, GESINALDO ATAÍDE

doi:10.1590/1809-4422ASOC179R1V2022017

Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Brasil

Español English

sumário « anterior atual seguinte »

Sumário

Articles • Ambient. soc. 20 (02) • Apr-Jun 2017 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422ASOC179R1V2022017 copy

SOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORS AND DESERTIFICATION IN THE UPPER COURSE OF THE PARAÍBA RIVER WATERSHED¹ 1 . The authors are grateful to CNPq for the important financial support granted to the research.

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

The aim of the current study is to assess the relation between socioeconomic indicators and land degradation in the upper course of the Paraíba River watershed. The indicators were selected based on the literature and on the census data available. The positive or negative relation between these indicators and soil degradation was identified. The mean values of the socioeconomic index per county (Ise_c) have shown soil degradation in the entire upper course of the watershed, although predominantly at low levels, whereas the Northwestern area has shown the strongest anthropic pressure. The upper course of the watershed has shown trend to socioeconomic index (Ise_w) increase and its mean value has indicated “moderate” land degradation.

Keywords:
agriculture; semiarid; desertification.

Indicator/unit	Reference				Mean values of the counties (upper course of the Paraíba River watershed)
Indicator/unit	Xx	Xm	1970	1975	1980	1985	1991	2006
Demographic density - Dd (inhabitants/km²)	1746	5	12	-	13	-	12	13
Municipal human development index (IDH-M)	1	0	0.274	-	0.325	-	0.400	0.621
Soil use - Luap (% of the county area)	80	0	15	14	19	16	10	18
Livestock - Ls Goats / Sheep - animals / 12ha	8 1	0 0	0.2 0.1	0.3 0.1	0.3 0.1	0.3 0.2	0.3 0.1	0.4 0.1
Land-ownership structure - Los (number of small farms)	2928¹	0	479	703	466	753	347	296
Plant extraction - Pe (m³ of wood/ha)	2.7¹	0	0.3	0.1	0.2	0.3	0.1	0.1

Index (0-1)*	Condition	Description
0.00-0.19	Critical	It corresponds to an advanced degradation condition characterized by low social indicators (income, longevity and education), high land use for agricultural purposes and inadequate practice rates, large numbers of herds and small farms, and high plant extraction rate. Identification of areas presenting soil exposure, native-vegetation cover suppression, erosion (furrows and gullies), etc.
0.20-0.39	Substantial	Land degradation associated with increase in some indicators, characterizing areas with increasing environmental issues (scarce and sparse vegetation, gullies, etc.) and permanent livestock farming.
0.40-0.59	Moderate	Land degradation associated with increase in few indicators. Vegetation cover reduction, extensive-livestock farming increase and more frequently-exposed soil spots.
0.60-0.79	Low	It corresponds to significant degradation, but the environmental damage can be reversed through recovery strategies. Mean social indicators, low herd concentrations and low land use for agricultural purposes.
0.80-0.99	Very low	Presence of native vegetation cover, slightly better conserved soils, low herd concentrations (goats, sheep and cattle) and reasonable social indicators.
1.00	No degradation	Condition wherein no significant anthropic actions are identified.

ANPPAS - Revista Ambiente e Sociedade Anppas / Revista Ambiente e Sociedade - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: revistaambienteesociedade@gmail.com

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[TFN1] ¹Maximum value found for one county in the studied area.

Indicator	Years
Indicator	1970	1975	1980	1985	1995	2006	Mean	CV*
Dd	0.993	-	0.995	-	0.997	0.997	0.995	0.00
IDH-M	0.274	-	0.325	-	0.399	0.621	0.385	0.40
Luap	0.737	0.743	0.685	0.715	0.784	0.695	0.726	0.05
Ls	0.544	0.485	0.482	0.467	0.549	0.572	0.515	0.08
Los	0.538	0.519	0.457	0.394	0.431	0.520	0.473	0.12
Pe	0.611	0.537	0.527	0.485	0.543	0.293	0.487	0.22

Brasil

Brasil

SOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORS AND DESERTIFICATION IN THE UPPER COURSE OF THE PARAÍBA RIVER WATERSHED1 1 . The authors are grateful to CNPq for the important financial support granted to the research.

Abstract

SOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORS AND DESERTIFICATION IN THE UPPER COURSE OF THE PARAÍBA RIVER WATERSHED¹ 1 . The authors are grateful to CNPq for the important financial support granted to the research.