Morphometry and land use as indicators of flood propension in the microbasins of Rio das Mortes, Minas Gerais – Brazil

Abstract

Floods are natural phenomena that are part of the dynamics of a watershed. However, some characteristics of the drainage and relief in which the basin is inserted may contribute to a greater or lesser propensity for these events. Land use, especially when related to waterproofing, are also preponderant factors in the occurrence of these events, as they potentiate surface runoff. Thus, the
objective of this work was to identify the tendency for flooding in the microbasins that make up the watershed of Rio das Mortes. For this, seven different morphometric indices were applied in the study area, which are generally used individually. However, for this work, an integration of the parameters was carried out with each other and, later, with the use of the land, specifically in urban areas. The results obtained allowed us to identify that seven of the thirteen microbasins analyzed have a medium and high tendency to the occurrence of these phenomena.