Banca de DEFESA: LAISE KELLEY LEMOS BARBOSA

Uma banca de DEFESA de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : LAISE KELLEY LEMOS BARBOSA
DATE: 31/07/2025
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: virtual
TITLE:

Between the Visible and the Hidden: Urban Studies Perspectives on the Challenges of Integrating Urban Planning and Water Security through the Case of Groundwater in Natal, Brazil

KEY WORDS:

Water Security; Groundwater Resources; Urban Planning Instruments; Urban Water Sustainability

PAGES: 219
BIG AREA: Ciências Sociais Aplicadas
AREA: Arquitetura e Urbanismo
SUBÁREA: Tecnologia de Arquitetura e Urbanismo
SPECIALTY: Adequação Ambiental
SUMMARY:

In the context of climate change and increasing socio environmental pressures, the concept of Water Security has gained critical relevance for ensuring urban sustainability. Accelerated urbanization imposes significant challenges on the provision of potable water and the management of water resources, compounded by severe pollution and overexploitation. Within this scenario, this research investigates the potential for integrating urban planning instruments with the principles of Water Security in medium-sized cities. The study assumes this integration to be both feasible and necessary, focusing on the role of public and private groundwater wells in the city of Natal, Brazil. This coastal urban center, characterized by its medium scale and high hydro-environmental vulnerability, was selected due to its growing water demand and increasing pressure on groundwater systems, factors that render the issue central to sustainable urban development. The theoretical framework is grounded in the concepts of Water Security and Integrated Urban Planning, guiding a critical analysis of Natal’s Master Plan with specific emphasis on provisions related to the availability and accessibility of potable water. The study employed the official registry of water supply wells, which was systematized within a Geographic Information System (GIS), allowing for spatial analysis of both natural and urban variables. In this approach, wells were treated not merely as technical devices for water abstraction but as tangible interfaces linking surface-level urbanization to the dynamics of the subsurface environment. The findings reveal that understanding groundwater behavior requires a thorough knowledge of anthropogenic surface interferences, such as land use patterns, urban density, and infrastructure. The integration of GIS methodologies emerged as a relevant analytical innovation, enabling more accurate identification of interactions between land occupation and groundwater vulnerability. Spatial data analysis identified critical zones of aquifer stress, low soil permeability, and nitrate contamination, especially within densely urbanized areas. The study also highlights the municipality’s structural dependence on wells for water supply, positioning aquifers as a central component of local Water Security. This research contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge by proposing new guidelines for sustainable urban planning that interlace hydrological and urbanistic dimensions. It offers a replicable framework for other medium-sized cities facing similar hydric and territorial challenges. Ultimately, the study underscores the urgency of integrated public policies capable of articulating the visible dimensions of the built environment with the hidden infrastructure of groundwater systems, in pursuit of holistic and resilient urban and water governance

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2432718 - ALEXSANDRO FERREIRA CARDOSO DA SILVA
Externa à Instituição - ANA CLAUDIA DUARTE CARDOSO - UFPA
Externo ao Programa - ***.406.644-** - JOSÉ GOMES FERREIRA - ULISBOA
Interna - 350504 - MARIA DULCE PICANÇO BENTES SOBRINHA
Externo à Instituição - RICARDO DE SOUSA MORETTI - UFABC