Capacity and current use of the Formoso river watershed, bonito municipality, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil: conflicts and land use recommendations

The lack of planning and feasibility of controlling actions over land use and land cover lead to relationship problems between the support capacity that environmental systems present and their current use. The goal of this study is to figure out how much land can be used based on its natural and physical features and to find problems that come up because of the heavy use in the Formoso River watershed. It is one of the most recognized Brazilian watersheds, due to its turistic, karst, and environmental characteristics. The methodology consists in handling and generating data in a GIS environment by performing a synthesis map, as well as adopting geoprocessing criteria and techniques in the field to validate the collected data. The results indicate that the watershed presents large areas without conflicts due to its numerous conservation units. However, major conflicts are identified in other areas, affecting the balance and dynamics of the landscape and its water resources. Such conflicts arise because soybean crops advance in fragile and karst areas. The highest concentration of confit is only 1.61%, particularly near the Formoso River marsh. Therefore, the present work considers a methodology that assesses the capacity of use through a method that has produced a summary document that is applicable and compatible with the karst system.