PROPOSTA DE USO DAS ÁREAS VARIÁVEIS DE AFLUÊNCIA COMO ÁREA DE PROTEÇÃO PERMANENTE

Despite numerous Brazilian environmental laws, human settlement in protected areas is growing. Among reasons highlight is the management tool of the areas of permanent protection (APP) that define areas symmetrical relative to the center of the water body without, however, consider the physical aspects and dynamics of flow of the river basin. This dynamic is represented by variable source areas (AVA) that define small areas in the watershed and that relate to the quality of water resources, since they are sources of runoff from the saturation and may carry sediments and pollutants for watercourses. As AVA undergo expansion and contraction due to frequency and intensity of precipitation events, in which water saturation occurs, their proper delimitation is not trivial task. Therefore, this article presents a discussion of the definition and modeling of AVA through Geographic Information Systems, with emphasis on its application potential in the delimitation of protected areas in urban environments.