ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF WATERSHEDS FROM THE HYDROSEDIMENTOLOGICAL MODELING AND STUDY OF ALTERNATIVE LAND COVER SCENARIOS
Environmental management of watersheds from the hydrosedimentological modeling and study of alternative land cover scenarios
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5016/geociencias.v41i3.16368Abstract
This research aimed to analyze the results of hydrosedimentological modeling under different alternative land use and land cover scenarios for the Goiana river watershed (Pernambuco), discussing it as a tool for watershed planning and environmental management. The SWAT hydrological model was used together with SWAT-CUP to run the flow, sediment, and hypothetical scenarios. The alternative reforestation scenario demonstrates that areas of native vegetation reduce peak flows in the rainy season and increase water availability in the periods following the rainy season. For sediment production, the urban expansion scenario resulted in higher estimates, which can be related to reducing forested areas and increasing sealed areas. Finally, the current use scenario presented considerable sediment contribution, demonstrating agricultural production's impact on the erosive processes. In both scenarios, the development of environmental conservation strategies is recognized. In addition, the results of the hydrosedimentological modeling obtained for the three scenarios established in this work demonstrate the possibility of applying them as a tool for watershed planning and management.