SELECTION OF AREAS FOR LOCATION OF UNDERGROUND DAMS IN A HYDROGRAPHIC BASIN IN THE SEMIARID OF RIO GRANDE DO NORTE
Waterresources; Thematic Maps; Potengi River.
The semi-aridregionischaracterizedby its high temperaturesclimate, lowprecipitationand high evaporation rates. Oneofthetechnologiesdevelopedtoincreasethe chance ofsurpassing rural residentswholivewiththis reality isthatof underground dams (UD), lowcostalternativesthatprovidethestorageofwaterresources in the adverse conditionsofthesemiarid. However, its installationrequiresthepresenceofphysicaland social characteristicsthatallowtheproperchoiceofthelocationarea. Thisresearchhad as mainobjectivethe propositionofcriteria for theselectionofareas for installationof UD usingtheGeographicInformation System (GIS) as a tool for managinggeoreferenced data, automating processes thatreducethecostsand minimize possiblelocationerrors. Criteria for climate, lithotypes, land use, hydrographic network, slope, tendenciesofstructuralcontrol, proximitytorechargeareasandproximitytothelocationofbuildingswereadapted, basedonthecurrentliteratureandavailabilityof data thatwouldintegrate a georeferenceddatabase. The applicationwasmade in twoareas, givingrisetothetwochaptersofthedissertation. In thefirst, thecriteriawereapplied in the Potengi River Basin region. In thesecond, thesamecriteriawithadaptation in theorder in whichtheywereconferredwereanalyzed in themunicipalityof São Tomé in Rio Grande do Norte (RN). In thelatter, it waspossibleto compare theconvenienceofthecriteriawiththeexistenceof UD alreadyinstalled in themunicipality. The applicationofthemethodologyproposedat BHRP allowedthereductionof 88% ofthebasinarea. Twelvepercentcorrespondtoareasthathavecharacteristics more favorabletotheinstallationof BS. Thisreductionimpliessaving time andreducingcosts, in additiontofacilitatingdecision making by managers whendefiningfieldactivities for on-site investigation. The applicationofthecriteria in themunicipality, linkedtoinformationfromthe UD alreadyinstalled, allowedtheevaluationoftheeffectivenessoftheproposedcriteria. The methodologyprovedtobeflexibletoadaptations, compatiblewiththe reality ofmunicipalities in RN, basedonthemunicipalityof São Tomé. It ispossibleto use it in theplanningphaseofthe BS implementation, as a waytoreducethesizeoftheareastobeinvestigated in fieldactivities, andto minimize causes thatmaycontributetothe non-functioningofthe UD. The methodalsocollaborateswiththelocationproposalbylowcostmethods.
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