Zonas úmidas e inundação de espaços urbanos no Uruguai

Abstract

This doctoral thesis studies the problems of wetlands and floods in urban areas in Uruguay from the perspective of environmental geography. It interrelates wetland environments with urbanization and their flooding areas from an environmental point of view, since Environmental Geography allows us to redefine the relationship between society and nature. The aim of this research is to provide theoretical, methodological and operational elements for the evaluation of environmental systems resulting from the interrelationship between wetland ecosystems and urban localities in Uruguay and to propose criteria to serve as inputs for sustainable planning, based on case studies. The methodological strategy is developed at different scales: floods in urban localities are identified and characterised at a national level and their distribution pattern, based on the spatial analysis of the records through a Geographic Information System. This analysis allows the situation of urban areas in relation to wetlands and flood events to be developed at national level. It is shown that the number of urban localities that develop within wetland areas in Uruguay is significant, reaching 50% of the total, consequently this is a problem on a national scale. The environmental analysis is deepened in three case studies, based on a regionalisation of the localities in wetlands and with flood events. San José de Mayo and the San José Basin, Durazno and the Yí Basin, and Rivera and the Cuñapirú Basin; the three cities have in common that they are largely located in wetland areas and have subsequently been affected by flood events. An environmental vision of the problem of flooding events in Uruguay is developed, showing the need to broaden the scale of analysis and work on a river basin scale, considering its functioning. In order to improve the general conditions of the basin and especially in the city environment, the preservation of wetland areas is desirable. Urban spaces extend over wetland areas without reflection on the ecosystems they destroy. One of the most obvious consequences are flooding events which occur in the localities and affect the local population. It is highlighted that, due to the high presence of urbanised areas in wetland territories, it is necessary to bear in mind urbanization when generating criteria for the protection of wetlands and a possible management plan. Furthermore, it shows the need to generate a national strategy for the management of wetlands and urban floodplains in order to initiate a sustainable path. Since the environmental system is not limited by urban boundaries and all variables in a basin as a whole are interrelated.