Monitoring of Erosion and Sedimentation in the Juruá River (Amazon Region)
The objective of this project was to analyze the impacts of the meandering of the Juruá River on the riverside communities in the Amazon.
Researchers from ORBTY, in partnership with the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), analyzed the impacts of meander migration in the Juruá River and its effects on the riverside communities in the Amazon. The Juruá River, one of the most winding rivers in the world, faces erosion and sedimentation along its banks, which can directly affect the lives of populations living near its shores. Using Landsat satellite images from 1984 to 2020 and cloud computing processing, the researchers developed an algorithm to identify areas susceptible to these processes.
It was discovered that 58.8% of the communities live in stable areas, but 15.18% are exposed to erosion, and 26.02% to sedimentation. Larger communities tend to be located in more stable areas, while smaller ones are more vulnerable to these processes.
The research shows how the river's dynamics can directly impact access to water, mobility, and food security for these populations, and suggests the importance of incorporating this knowledge into public policy planning to protect these communities and their livelihoods. It is important to note that this research is the first to explore the relationship between meander migration and riverside communities at the watershed scale, connecting local knowledge with environmental conservation.