Protocolo de Avaliação Rápida de Rios Urbanos (PARU) como ferramenta de monitoramento ambiental

The development of protocols for an efficient monitoring of rivers quality is extremely important for urban planning. This paper shows up the Rapid Urban River Assessment Protocol (RUAP) and the results of its application in the Palmital River, located in an area of public water supply in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba (RMC), in the State of Paraná - Brazil. Four points were analyzed in the lower third of the river and it was figured out with low quality status of the river and with environmental degradation. RUAP was proved to be a simple and accessible tool for monitoring river environments and that can be used by environmental agencies, as well as in formal and informal education of the population, supporting the popular participation in decision-making involving urban plannings.