Monitoring of the Paraíba do Sul River - São José dos Campos / SP
ORBTY developed a monitoring system for macrophytes and turbidity for the Paraíba do Sul River.
ORBTY developed an online platform for monitoring the Paraíba do Sul River. Through our platform (see below), managers and the general public can track the historical and current condition of water quality parameters being monitored, in this case, turbidity (water transparency) and the presence of macrophytes (aquatic plants - a bioindicator of pollution).
The Paraíba do Sul River is an extremely important river for Brazil. Within its catchment basin, around 14 million inhabitants live, generating a GDP of approximately 12% of the national territory. However, despite its importance, the river is still not widely recognized as a natural heritage by the local population, a reality that the REGENERA program aims to change through actions that encourage the population of São José dos Campos (SP) to reconnect with this water resource.
Regarding the monitoring of macrophytes, there are two types of maps available on the platform: a) macrophyte frequency; and b) macrophyte growth periods. The first map shows areas of macrophyte occurrence along the banks of the Paraíba do Sul River. The greener the area, the longer the macrophytes have been present there. On the other hand, the bluer the area, the shorter the presence, suggesting new macrophyte growth areas. The second map shows the period when the macrophyte growth occurred. The redder the area, the more recent the emergence of macrophytes. These red areas deserve special attention, as they are locations where the aquatic ecosystem quality is deteriorating.
Additionally, on the right side of the platform, graphs are displayed showing the monitoring of macrophytes and turbidity over time in the Paraíba do Sul River. The first graph shows the macrophyte area in hectares along the monitored section from 2016 to 2021. The second graph shows the turbidity monitoring from 1984 to 2021 for a section of the river.
Launch of the cooperation network by the Paraíba do Sul River Park
On September 26, 2021, ORBTY was present at the launch of the cooperation network in support of the Paraíba do Sul River Park in São José dos Campos (SP). The event brought together technology startups, research institutions, companies, and social organizations from the city. The goal of creating the park is to bring the population closer to the river and raise awareness about the importance of environmental preservation, especially of rivers, in ensuring a healthy city.
On this day, approximately 15 native trees were planted along the banks of the Jaguari River, near its confluence with the Paraíba do Sul River, at a location that will be part of the future park area, a project planned in the Master Plan of SJC to be completed by 2030. Additionally, the action plan of the cooperation group was presented, which includes water quality monitoring, geoprocessing studies, implementation of sanitation systems, tree planting, and sustainability and environmental education projects with the local population and students from the school network.