University of São Paulo, Center of Water Resources and Environmental Studies, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
Federal University of Sao Carlos, Environmental Sciences Department, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
Environ Manage. 2022 Dec;70(6):990-1003. doi: 10.1007/s00267-022-01710-y. Epub 2022 Sep 2.
Mapping priority areas for environmental conservation and restoration is essential to informing policy formulation and decision-making. This study proposes a methodology based on multicriteria analysis and on-site assessment to develop environmental zoning that enhances the provision of water ecosystem services (WES) from Brazil's Água Quente River Basin. Integrated analysis of multiple criteria enabled identification of degrees of susceptibility to degradation, assessment of effects of land-use changes between 1990 and 2020, and validation of the study's methodology via field protocol. The results indicated that the spatial and temporal patterns of WES susceptibility to degradation varied little within the study area with the most critical levels occurring primarily in the Agua Quente's floodplain, where there are sandy textured soils and coverage with a low degree of soil protection. Zoning analysis designates 40% of the basin`s area as consolidated use, 28% for environmental conservation, 19% as anthropic use, and 13% for environmental restoration. Field analysis indicates that the occurrence of degraded areas and pollution by solid waste and urban effluents are relevant factors that affect the basin's water resources. Linear regression analysis indicated a good fit between the data modeled by the multicriteria analysis and those observed on-site (R² = 0.6 p < 0.05). The study's method is effective and its structure can be used in other river basins, as its approach is simple and flexible and can be readily adjusted to fit the characteristics of the study site.
绘制环境保护和恢复的重点区域对于为政策制定和决策提供信息至关重要。本研究提出了一种基于多准则分析和现场评估的方法，以制定环境分区，从而增强巴西Água Quente 河流域的水生态系统服务（WES）提供能力。对多个标准的综合分析，使我们能够识别出易受退化影响的程度，评估 1990 年至 2020 年期间土地利用变化的影响，并通过现场协议验证该研究方法的有效性。结果表明，WES 易受退化影响的时空模式在研究区域内变化不大，最关键的水平主要发生在 Agua Quente 的洪泛区，那里有沙质土壤和土壤保护程度较低的覆盖物。分区分析将流域面积的 40%指定为综合利用区，28%为环境保护区，19%为人为利用区，13%为环境恢复区。现场分析表明，退化区域的出现以及固体垃圾和城市废水的污染是影响流域水资源的相关因素。线性回归分析表明，多准则分析模型和现场观测数据之间具有良好的拟合度（R²=0.6，p<0.05）。该研究方法有效，其结构可用于其他河流流域，因为其方法简单灵活，可以根据研究地点的特点进行调整。
