The importance of physical indicators in areas of urban flood : the case of the metropolitan region of Belém

Abstract

The city of Belém, Pará (PA) suffers the problem of unplanned settlement around its rivers. Therefore, the access to the rivers has become difficult. There is a lack of governmental plans to promote the anticipation of feasible investigation and solutions to urban flooding. The purpose of this study is to identify the physical characteristics of the hydrological resources of this urban area in order to establish physical and spatial indicators. To describe the study site, flooding areas were located and the application of statistical analysis was necessary. After the descriptive analysis was done, a profile was verified where the most critical points are pointed by the survey data. In Pearson's chi-squared test the variables which showed the greatest correlations were settlement density and canal characteristics. In short, in areas with higher population density a greater quantity of household and building waste are found in the canal. These areas are also characterized by low-income from the population and an unorganized settlement. By identifying the sites where floods occur in the urban area together with the proposed solutions, the respective authorities or institutions could carry out actions that would improve life quality of the local population.