Evolution of land use and coverage and their impacts on the quality of surface water in the Córrego Bonito hydrographic basin (Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil)

Abstract

This research aims to understand the evolution of land use and land cover over the years 1984 and 2017, the current environmental problems and their impacts on the quality of surface water in the hydrographic basin of the Bonito stream, located in the municipality of Bonito, Brazil. To this end, we sought, through the digital processing of satellite images, to classify the land uses and, using field trips, to identify the environmental problems that might interfere with the waters. The water surface, in turn, was framed in the resolutions of the National Council on the Environment, which acts over the Brazilian territory. The results showed an increase in monocultures and pastures, and the consequent removal of forest vegetation, so much so that many of these anthropic uses already penetrate the banks of springs, impacting the quality of their surface waters, especially by altering the electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids in the water. Taking into account that this basin is located in a municipality known worldwide for its translucent waters and a karstic system that results in an exuberant landscape, the reality showed a basin deeply impacted by urbanized areas and with several environmental problems. The concern is latent because its springs are tributaries of the main source of Bonito, the Formoso river, known for its tourist attractions related to surface waters and that exhibits primary contact with the population.