Rio Grande do Sul northern littoral: social-economic indicators and major environmental problems

Abstract

The north littoral region of Rio Grande do Sul is a coastal zone segment where a sequence of environments
organized in a longitudinal orientation to the coast occurs. A sedimentary coastal plain is identified
landwards from the shoreline, formed by dunes deposits and by interconnected coastal lagoons, and
extending its area up to the scarps of the Planalto Meridional (basement highlands), which are deeply
incised by the valleys of Maquiné and Três Forquilhas rivers. The relationships between society and
nature have increased in the last decades, in special in the Coastal Zone, due to the urbanization
processes, among other factors. However, the quick grow of urbanization resulted in some problems
for an environment that is characterized by an ecosystem diversity of great sensibility. The analysis of
the index of social-economic development allows classifying the north littoral region of Rio Grande do
Sul in a profile of a medium development rate. The investments on healthy and education of the last
years have increased the regional socio-economical indicators. However, more investments are necessary
in key-sectors of the study area, mainly in respect to: the demand for high school opportunities, availability
of water by a general net, collection and discharge of urban effluents and waste disposal. The most
significant environmental changes, increased during summer months (December to March), are related
to the high demand and quality of waters, the high demand for healthy services, beach quality, sanitary
collapse, disposal of residual solids, conflicts on the use of the beach area, increase on the number of
irregular properties, water, sound and visual pollution, a general lack of respect to the environment,
among others.