Expansão urbana e conservação ambiental: geotecnologias como subsídio às políticas de ordenamento territorial em Vargem das Flores - Contagem/mg

Abstract

The Vargem das Flores basin in the municipality of Contagem/mg is the scene of intense conflicts related to land use and divergent policies on territorial planning and environmental protection, because the area is protected by environmental legislation. Downstream of the basin there is a dam for the formation of the Vargem das Flores reservoir that supplies the urban population of the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Region. The prevalence of municipal interests over metropolitan interests put the remaining green areas, watercourses, and drainage channels at risk due to the possibility of urban expansion in the area. In this context, this study sought to map the possibility of reconciling urban expansion and environmental conservation in Vargem das Flores and to identify possible conflicts of interest in the basin. The multi-criteria analysis method was used, and it resulted in three syntheses: urban expansion, environmental conservation, and integration synthesis. After building the syntheses, an alternative approach was built to identify land use skills based on the master plan, which resulted in a mapping that sought to meet the needs identified in the territory. The results revealed that the proposed zoning in 2018 puts at risk natural resources fundamental to the existence of the reservoir. The aptitude synthesis adapted to the plan presented an alternative that reconciles the existing conflicting interests.