Influence of precipitation on the environmental vulnerability to erosion of soils: a case study in the coastal region of pará

Soil is a vital natural resource and is essential for sustainable socioeconomic development of a given region. The knowledge of the relationships between the elements of the physical environment is essential for formulating adequate proposals for preventing and controlling soil loss. It is important to identify the areas that are the most vulnerable to soil loss, such that best land use practices can be adequately and safely adopted. The present study aimed to determine the degree of environmental vulnerability to erosion of soils in the municipalities of Curuçá and Marapanim during high and low precipitation.These municipalities are located in the northeastern region of the state of Pará, Brazil. A selection of variables (climate, geology, geomorphology, slope, soil, vegetation, and land use), map algebra techniques, and multi-criteria analysis were used in this study to spatially analyze environmental vulnerability to erosion of soils in the study area. The results showed that the erosive processes are concentrated in the coastal zone in the municipality of Marapanim, occurring mainly during the period of the heaviest precipitation. The results of this study also identified areas that are moderately vulnerable and in need of attention in urban planning and management.