Áreas prioritárias à recuperação da bacia hidrográfica do Rio Potengi - RN, Brasil

Abstract

In order to mitigate the advancement of erosive processes on the Earth's surface, entities responsible for environmental management and oversight have been demanding actions and policies aimed at preserving, maintaining, and restoring environmental quality and integrity. Among these actions are the delineation and Recovery of Degraded Areas (RAD) and the implementation of Payments for Environmental Services (PES). Faced with the challenge of planning territorial actions, multicriteria analysis within a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment has become a crucial decision-making tool, particularly at the watershed scale. Based on attributes of physical, biotic, and anthropic factors, this study determined, through qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the vulnerability to erosion and soil loss in the Potengi River Watershed - Rio Grande do Norte (BHRP-RN). As a result, 9 (nine) critical areas in terms of vulnerability were identified, and 5,111.53 hectares of extensive livestock areas were prioritized for erosion control and the implementation of RDA and PES. Economically, these areas were evaluated based on the net present value of the region's economic activities. Therefore, a minimum value for the economic feasibility of PES programs was established at R$563.32 per hectare per year.