SURVEY OF THE RAINFALL INDEX OF THE RURAL TERRITORY OF THE MIDDLE PIRANHAS

Abstract

This article seeks to establish a relationship between the rainfall index of the last eleven years in sixteen cities in Paraíba, Brazil, and the environmental fragility found in the area, using geoprocessing techniques. The studied region encompasses 16 municipalities located in the rural territory of the middle Piranhas region, occupying an area of ​​approximately 5,645.593 km², with a total population estimated at 168,296 inhabitants. The concern regarding irregular rainfall in the semi-arid region is common knowledge, since this type of distribution causes strong impacts on various sectors. It is important to highlight the worsening of these problems in recent years, as a consequence of human activities on the environment. The relief, the landscape, economic activities (agriculture, livestock, fish farming, among others) and the social environment itself feel the changes caused. These impacts alter the water regime and consequently the way of life in this place. Based on the rainfall index survey of the region and through the climatic characterization of rainfall in the municipalities between 2005 and 2015, it is possible to identify a high level of environmental fragility in the studied area. Water, as a shaper of the relief, and the absence of precipitation result in little or no weathering activity, hindering soil formation and quality. All of this generates economic and social impacts, making it difficult for people to generate income and live in this type of environment. In this context, an environmental management policy capable of mitigating and presenting solutions to these problems becomes urgently needed, thus facilitating income generation and life in the semi-arid region.