Analysis of population vulnerability to environmental technological risks in the urban area of the city of Manaus-AM

Abstract

This work aims to identify and characterize the situation of population vulnerability to environmental technological risks for the neighborhoods of the urban area of Manaus – state of Amazonas, Brazil. The sources of these risks, identified and characterized as potentially damaging threats were: thermoelectric, solvent and/or gas industries, port areas, waste disposal areas, airport areas and fuel depots. The elaboration of the database was done through the collection of information made available by local, federal and national agencies; field work to certify the operation of the sources of risk; and use of Geographic Information System. The neighborhoods of the city of Manaus were classified into five vulnerability categories, resulting from the combination of three dimensions: population density; Municipal Human Development Index – Income Dimension; and occurrence of risk factors. The results indicate that the technological risk factors are concentrated in the southern region of the city, though the neighborhoods with the highest incidence of risk factors are located on the north and east zones, areas that also have the worst HDI. The distribution of the population is concentrated in the northeast-southwest axis, highlighting the neighborhoods to the southwest, where the oldest neighborhoods and the historical center of the capital are located. The highest levels of vulnerability are found in the northeastern region, where neighborhoods of precarious socioeconomic conditions and highly populated are located. This work, when identifying and characterizing critical areas of vulnerability and concentration of technological risk factors, provides relevant subsidies for the planning of public policies and development of strategies for the prevention of risks and damages to population’s health. The results show scenarios that should be the targets of policies aimed at reducing the problems, urban planning can and should be a tool to reduce these levels.