The Landscape in the Influence Area of the Funil Hydroelectric Power Station Realized Through its EIA-RIMA

Abstract

The building of a hydroelectric power station provokes great transformations in the regional landscape, provoking a fast environmental degradation in opposition to its millenarian formation process. The implantation is defined by pre-requirements such as water availability, appropriate topography and geological factors and in this way, the integral study of the landscape, a system in constant transformation, doesn’t take part in the process. The Funil Hydroelectric Power – UHE-Funil was built in the upper part of the Rio Grande, close to the town of Lavras - MG. The early studies were done in the 1960’s; the environmental impact studies and reports – EIA-RIMA are from 1991/1992 and in 2003, the commercial operation was started. It was intended in this research work to analyze the whole of documentation regarding to the EIARIMA of the hydroelectric power, to realize how the landscape in the influence area of the hydroelectric had been considered before, during and after the building of the barrage. Another purpose was to identify whether the studies had pointed out alternatives to the use or preservation of natural resources, which would permit to question about the relationship between the benefits produced by hydroelectric energy generation and the consequent environmental damages. The results led to a temporary analysis with three landscape transformation stages: since the origin of man’s occupation till the time of the EIA-RIMA elaboration; modifications during the building and filling of the barrage and the appearance of new landscapes after its building.