Use of morphometric indicators as tools for assessment watershed

 

Morphometric indicators are important mechanisms for reporting summary information or for the provision of a solid foundation on the watersheds physical characteristics, which make possible to adapt the land use and management of the vegetation cover, based on those characteristics in order to ensure sustainability and influence on the welfare of human beings. Therefore, in this study, a Morphometric Analysis and Aptitude of the Land Use and Vegetal Cover (IMUS) was created, incorporating morphological information and current land use and occupation in Una River Basin, using in its calculation, scientific basis, morphometric indicators and geoprocessing techniques. The morphometric indicators of the values obtained showed that the watershed presents desirable physical characteristics in terms of erosion vulnerability, however, the watershed land use and occupation contrasts with the aptitude calculated in the northeast of the basin showing low values, which resulted in the final amount of IMUS. Thus, the IMUS has proved to be an important tool for the morphometric characteristics analysis and land use and occupation to forecast floods and erosion susceptibility control of sub-basins, allowing it to be a support tool in the management of watersheds and in the public policies development.