SPACIALIZATION OF SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THROUGH ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS: CASE STUDY IN THE ARROIO FERREIRA WATERSHED, SANTA MARIA - RS

Abstract

The disorderly advancement of human action on the environment and its increasingly consequences the need for comprehensive environmental studies to enable an interpretation of space and the articulations to be carried out, taking into account physical, biotic, chemical, and anthropic aspects of the environment. This article presents the application of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in Geographic Information Systems in the Arroio Ferreira watershed, Santa Maria - RS. In order to delimit and spatialize susceptibility to environmental impacts in the watershed area, based on criteria such as geology, soils, land use and occupation, and geomorphology. The AHP method was used to synthesize these criteria and their respective sub-criteria, allowing for a spatial analysis of susceptibility to environmental impacts. Five classes of susceptibility were identified, with the highest classes occupying 31.29% of the study area, in the southeastern portion of the watershed. The results highlight areas with different levels of susceptibility and the need for environmental planning, impact mitigation, restoration of degraded areas, and implementation of low-impact activities, such as those developed by agroecology. It is concluded that the AHP method is reliable for multicriteria analysis in environmental studies, providing support for planning and actions to mitigate environmental impacts in watersheds.