Agricultural engineer develops soil suitability table and creates 'green conservation seal'
The characteristics of land use and occupation in urban-rural fringes and the increase in urbanization show that, for there to be responsible management, such areas must be destined for environmental protection and recovery, through participatory policies and incentives for owners . This is what agricultural engineer Thais Guarda Prado Avancini concluded in her doctoral thesis defended at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urbanism (FEC). This finding came from observation in the municipality of Louveira, in the interior of the State of São Paulo.
According to her, there is a strong expansion of residential subdivisions in these areas, and soil conservation does not follow as strict precepts as in areas of rural use only, since the producer needs the land to produce. But soil conservation practices in Louveira, due to increased urbanization, have also been declining. “As a result, there is even a risk of reducing the flow of rivers due to siltation.”
The researcher explained that the view of soil in rural areas changes with urbanization. With the spread of these subdivisions, a lot of soil, vegetation and, consequently, water are lost. And Thais' choice of Louveira involved a combination of all these factors, in addition to social, environmental and conservation motivations. The fieldwork lasted one year.
She commented that Louveira has been undergoing changes in the rural-urban landscape, mainly due to real estate expansion, as it is in the region's logistics center – with many warehouses for logistics distribution – and strategically located on the edge of the Anhanguera Highway.
The population of this municipality in 2017 was 45.922 thousand inhabitants, compared to 37.125 thousand in 2010. According to the State Data Analysis System Foundation (Seade), the municipality's degree of urbanization last year was 97,35% . Currently, the urban area occupies around 34 square kilometers, representing around 60% of its total area.
Guided by FEC professor André Munhoz de Argollo Ferrão, the engineer invested in preventing environmental impacts. And her study contributed to the development of a soil suitability table for urban areas and the creation of the Green Soil Seal for Soil Conservation and Vegetation Preservation.
According to the researcher, in civil works, soil conservation practices are almost non-existent and, as earth movements are necessary, from cuts and landfills, it is clear that these works cause a series of impacts on the physical and biotic environment, altering the characteristics of the soil and local vegetation cover.
In the agricultural area, a suitability for use classification system is already used, capable of indicating whether that land is suitable for receiving a certain crop, taking into account susceptibility to erosion. Precisely based on this map and urban zoning maps, Thais created the seal. The integration of the concepts of land use capacity and suitability for urban use resulted in the creation of the Soil Suitability Table for Urban Use.
Holistic analysis
The author of the study used data from the “Agro-environmental Diagnosis for the management of water resources in the municipality of Louveira-SP”, prepared by the Campinas Agronomic Institute (IAC) and provided by professor Jener Fernando Leite de Moraes, her master's advisor.
The two tools created by the researcher were applied to the suitability table and she found that, if the green soil seal was used before the process, or during licensing, it could induce the planning of that subdivision, reducing loss of soil, vegetation and water .
Therefore, when licensing is handed over to the licensing body (the Housing Project Analysis and Approval Group of the State of São Paulo - Graprohab), this is already capable of visualizing the potential and problems linked to soil and vegetation. This was not done previously, as actions to reduce soil loss are not widespread in civil society.
Thais revealed that, in São Paulo, a rural soil conservation law has been in force since 1988. It states that agricultural soil is a heritage of humanity. “But when an entrepreneur starts to move it, his care is negligible compared to what the rural producer has. Therefore, conservation is fundamental.”
The engineer's intention is that this certification, in addition to helping to preserve the environment, can serve the entrepreneur as a “green marketing” strategy for the enterprise. Another proposal would be to obtain financial incentives, tax reductions and specific lines of credit, with consistent rates for certified enterprises.
The Green Soil Seal and the Land Use Suitability Table, together, should direct urban works, which fall into a certain category and show whether they are suitable for this implementation. They also point out what is needed to improve in relation to soil and vegetation conservation.
“The use of such tools to evaluate areas, for the implementation of a new subdivision in the municipality, can guide the planning of the project and even its construction code, rationalizing the use of land”, he informed.
Responsibility
Thais applied the seal to three subdivisions in Louveira. One of them, with land measuring 1.800 square meters, was certified in the lowest classification (gold, silver and bronze), but did not fail to receive the seal. The other two subdivisions did not receive classification because conservation techniques were almost non-existent.
The Solo Verde Seal, he said, follows an evaluation methodology through the sum of points based on the LEEDTM certification – Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, a seal created by the US Green Building Council, with great international recognition and used in more than 130 countries. “What I value most about the new seal are the soil and vegetation conservation items.”
In the researcher's opinion, knowledge of land use capacity can guide the areas proposed for environmental compensation, green areas, priority areas for environmental recovery or reforestation, among others. “We see that licensed subdivisions do not have connectivity between plant fragments, compromising fauna corridors and reducing their environmental value.”
To work with the environmental area, she emphasized, it is necessary to look at each situation holistically. Seeing only environmental information is insufficient. It is necessary to focus on all environmental variables such as topography, soil type, proximity to environmental preservation areas, water source area and its surroundings.
Furthermore, it is necessary to understand the impacts of such drastic urbanization and the increase in soil sealing. Observing these characteristics allows you to work and plan within certain rules that must be followed throughout the work.
Soon, Thais intends to launch a booklet to raise awareness among entrepreneurs on this topic. This approach comes from the author's desire to highlight the subject, as she also works on licensing urban subdivisions.
“We try to do our part and perhaps we can still save the water, the soil and protect the vegetation. After all, everything is interconnected. The soil we lose through water erosion will end up in a river that supplies water to our home. So conservation is also our responsibility”, believes Thais.
