Development and Application of an Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) for Identifying Priority Restoration Areas in the São Francisco River Basin, Brazil

Clívia Dias Coelho (), Demetrius David da Silva, Ricardo Santos Silva Amorim, Bruno Nery Fernandes Vasconcelos, Ernani Lopes Possato, Elpídio Inácio Fernandes Filho, Pedro Christo Brandão, José Ambrósio Ferreira Neto and Lucas Vieira Silva
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Clívia Dias Coelho: Department of Technology in Civil Engineering, Computing, Automation, Telematics and Humanities, Campus Alto Paraopeba, Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Ouro Branco 36301-160, MG, Brazil
Demetrius David da Silva: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Campus Universitário, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36301-160, MG, Brazil
Ricardo Santos Silva Amorim: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Campus Universitário, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36301-160, MG, Brazil
Bruno Nery Fernandes Vasconcelos: Department of Soils, Campus Universitário, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36301-160, MG, Brazil
Ernani Lopes Possato: Department of Forestry Engineering, Campus Universitário, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36301-160, MG, Brazil
Elpídio Inácio Fernandes Filho: Department of Soils, Campus Universitário, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36301-160, MG, Brazil
Pedro Christo Brandão: Department of Soils, Campus Universitário, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36301-160, MG, Brazil
José Ambrósio Ferreira Neto: Department of Rural Economy, Campus Universitário, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36301-160, MG, Brazil
Lucas Vieira Silva: Department of Soils, Campus Universitário, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36301-160, MG, Brazil

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-20

Abstract: The environmental vulnerability diagnosis of a river basin depends on a holistic analysis of its environmental aspects and degradation factors. Based on this diagnosis, the definition of priority areas where interventions for environmental recovery should be carried out is fundamental, since financial and natural resources are limited. In this study, we developed a methodology to assess these fragilities using an environmental vulnerability index (EVI) that combines physical and environmental indicators related to the natural sensitivity of ecosystems and their exposure to anthropogenic factors. The developed EVI was applied to the headwater region of the São Francisco River Basin (SFRB), Brazil. The proposed index was based on the AHP multicriteria analysis and was adapted to include four variables representative of the study area: Land Use Adequacy, Burned Area, Erosion Susceptibility, and quantitative water balance. The EVI analysis highlighted that the presence of easily erodible soils, associated with sloping areas and land use above their capacity, generate the most vulnerable areas in the headwaters of the SFRB. The highest EVI values are primarily linked to regions with shallow, easily erodible soils like Leptosols and Cambisols, found in steep areas predominantly used for pasture. In the SFBR, the greatest vulnerability was observed within a 5 km buffer around conservation units, covering approximately 32.4% of the total area. The results of this study indicate where resources should be applied for environmental preservation in the basin under study, directing the allocation of efforts to areas with lower resilience to maintain ecosystem services.

Keywords: multicriteria analysis; GIS; land use adequacy; burned area; erosion susceptibility; water balance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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