The impact of land use/land cover change in suburban subdivisions on surface runoff: the case of the Gated Community Alto da Boa Vista (Federal District, Brazil)

Abstract

Environmental damages are inherent to urbanization processes and therefore need to be carefully measured and mitigated, especially those that affect hydrological regimes, because they reverberate beyond the urbanized area and reach the entire watershed. Although essential for mitigating environmental damages affecting suburban subdivisions, drainage systems and rainwater management are usually given secondary status during urban land planning. The present study evaluated the implications of the absence of adequate subdivision planning, focusing on the process of occupation and regularization of the Gated Community Alto da Boa Vista – in the Sobradinho Administrative District (in Brazil’s Federal District). Our sources were land regularization documents, data on rainfall, soil typology and remote sensing imagery. The images allowed us to detect changes in soil cover over several years and to identify resulting changes in infiltration and runoff. Data analysis showed that faulty attention was given to environmental and urban aspects during the planning phase and the installation of the gated community and contributed to the occurrence of erosion processes. It was found that it is necessary to improve public management routines to expedite the granting of urban and environmental licenses, in addition to defining technically adequate and integrated requirements for the installation of drainage systems and the management of rainwater runoff in areas affected by urban expansion.