Characterization and modeling of urban environmental quality indicators

  • Francisco de Assis Cruz Melo Universidade de Taubaté (UNITAU), Brasil
  • Mariko Ueno Universidade de Taubaté (UNITAU), Brasil
Keywords: village housing, environmental indicators, urban settlement

Abstract

Environmental problems in the urban area of Belém, Pará, Brazil, deny a large portion of the population critical environmental quality. The present study evaluated the environmental quality of the urban village of União, in a neighborhood called Terra Firme, Belém, Pará. An integrated urban environmental quality index was proposed, based on the modeling of indicators of urban environmental quality, urban livability and quality of treated water. These three indices encompass the variables of water supply, garbage collection, vegetation, sewage, road paving, infrastructure condition of households, the existence of urban equipment for common use, public transport, accessibility, family income, employment conditions, education and quality of treated water. The results of the indicators are: urban environmental quality index, 50.0 points (indicating a regular level of environmental quality); urban livability index, 48.6 points (representing moderate level of livability); and quality index of the treated water, 98.1 points (which is an optimal level of water quality). The arithmetic average of the three indices generated an integrated urban environmental quality of 65.6 points, a good environmental quality level of the urban village housing in União. The interpretation of this integrated index reflects the indicators measured in each index. We conclude that the modeling of urban environmental quality indicators was an important tool for the analysis of urban environmental quality in micro or macro scales, and this allowed us to propose more efficient management and restructuring of the urban environment.

Author Biography

Francisco de Assis Cruz Melo, Universidade de Taubaté (UNITAU), Brasil
Graduado em Agronomia pela Universidade de Taubaté (1985), concluiu o Mestrado em Agronomia (Energia na Agricultura) pela Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, em 1991 e o Doutorado em Agronomia (Irrigação e Drenagem) pela Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (USP), em 1997. Concluiu também uma Especialização em Engenharia de Recursos Hídricos pela Universidade de Taubaté, em 1992. Chefe do Departamento de Ciências Agrárias da UNITAU no período de 1999 a 2003 e Membro efetivo do Conselho Universitário da UNITAU no período de 2004 a 2006. Como Professor Assistente Doutor da Universidade de Taubaté, lecionou na Graduação em Agronomia da UNITAU as disciplinas Hidráulica, Irrigação e Drenagem; Hidrologia e Manejo de Bacias Hidrográficas e Legislação Agrícola e no Mestrado, a disciplina Hidrologia de Superfície. Com experiência na área de Agronomia, tem coordenado vários projetos na área de bacias hidrográficas com recursos do FEHIDRO - SP e do CNPq/CT-HIDRO. Atualmente coordena o Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais da Universidade de Taubaté (PPGCA-UNITAU).
Published
20/08/2014
Section
Special