IMPACTS OF THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY ON A HYDROGRAPHIC BASIN IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL: ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL INDICES

Abstract

Environmental indices provide quantitative parameters that can be used to evaluate the state or condition of a phenomenon on an ample geographic scale. The selection of appropriate indices for the diagnosis of specific questions demands careful consideration of objectives and local characteristics. The present study evaluates the application indices of economic activities, water quality, and basic sanitation for the analysis of environmental questions in the hydrographic basin of the Guaribas River in northeastern Brazil, which has suffered major transformations in recent years due to the installation of the Pecém Shipping and Industrial Complex (PSIC), the third largest Brazilian port by volume of exports. The results indicate explosive growth in the economy of the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante (which covers 95% of the study area) between 2007 and 2010, which was not accompanied by the necessary growth or improvement in urban infrastructure, in particular with regard to the contamination of water sources (the Guaribas River and its tributaries) due to the inadequate treatment and disposal of domestic, agricultural, and industrial effluents and solid waste. These results are used to formulate a series of recommendations for the environmental management of the Guaribas basin.