Diagnóstico ambiental de uma microbacia urbana como instrumento de educação ambiental

Abstract

Environmental impacts resulting from deforestation, flaws in planning and sanitation, irregular constructions and excessive waterproofing are recurrent in many cities in the world and in Brazil, in particular, as in the metropolitan area of Cuiabá. In search of joint solutions to these environmental and social problems, from 1970 onwards, dialogues between countries began in search of options to solve adversities. Considering this issue, Environmental Education (EE) is seen as an important way to seek solutions to these environmental issues. In this sense, the present study aimed to provide students in the 9th year of elementary school, at the State School Porfiria Paula de Campos in Várzea Grande (MT), located in this metropolitan area, an integrated knowledge of the social and environmental aspects of an urban watershed, enabling a reflection on the causes and consequences of the problems, which are part of the students' reality, and pointing out alternative solutions. This study was developed with the VERAH method (Vegetation – V, Erosion – E, Waste – R, Water – A and Housing – H), of actionresearch and interdisciplinary, which is a tool for carrying out an environmental diagnosis, in the case carried out in the watershed of the Água Limpa stream, a contributor to the Cuiabá river and located in the urban area of Várzea Grande. Field experiences were carried out in the microbasin, in May and September/22. The work was developed in two stages: Stage 1: Application of a questionnaire, preparation for field activities and theoretical classes; Step 2: Experience in the field: survey of the five themes of VERAH in the microbasin. The results achieved indicate that the method adopted allowed the investigation of the degree of degradation of the stream, its causes and consequences, and served as a path for environmental education, allowing the link with the school contents and with the reality of the students.