Urbanization and flooding: conflicts and possibilities

Abstract

The urbanization of determined territory can bring obtains effect undesirable, considered extremely harmful to the population when associates to the alterations suffered for the hidrologic cycle, for consequence of the model of implanted urban development. In this article the inter-relations between the urbanization and the occurrence of floodings are presented, aiming at the prominence of some aspects that come to contribute for the adoption of measures that can minimize the serious impacts of the action of waters in the decurrent cities of the process of urban development. In this direction, it can be concluded that, as the adopted model of urbanization, can be brightened up or be accented floodings in one determined hidrographic basin. The intensity of the risks of floodings to the population directly is related to the way as the territory is busy: greater the occurrence risk how much bigger they will be the modifications of the natural characteristics of the basin. The levels of impacts on the regimen of drainings will be given through the ways of urbanization of the hidrographics basins, where waterproofing and canalization are essential parameters that they must be observed. Consideration of hidrographic basin as unit of management, as it foresees the Politics National of Waters Resources (Federal Law n°9433/97, known as Law of Waters), as well as the adoption of instruments that aim at the effective control of the occupations and uses of the ground, in the set of the territory of the basin and not only in the sector interventions, start to be basic elements for the prevention of the occurrence of floodings, that they have been so frequent in the Brazilians cities.