S07 - Session P2 - The trajectory of the landscape and functionality of urban watercourses: a study of Lavras city, Brazil

Authors: Patrícia Paiva *, Rafael de Brito Sousa, Michele Valquiria dos Reis, Nathalie Carcaud

Due to the growth of the urban population, there is a strong pressure to occupy open spaces in the urban center, including around watercourses. Canalization and drainage techniques favored urban expansion and occupation of these spaces. In long term this has not been efficient, since it is not a sustainable decision, mainly in view of the challenges provided by climate change. The purpose of this work was to analyze the landscape and multifunctionality of watercourses and their borders using as a model the city of Lavras, Brazil. For that, it was identified their functions and evolution, as well as the contribution of public actors and their influence on the population's life quality. In Lavras city, it was observed that the watercourses and their surroundings with the urbanized areas lost a large part of their natural and social function after the 1980s, only having a drainage function. With the economic valuation of land, especially in the central areas, the implementation of green and blue infrastructure has not yet been prioritized. Even with the legislation that provides multifunctional uses for rivers and their banks, the urban watercourses from Lavras remained largely monofunctional. Also, this did not contribute to increasing the city's green areas and the reintegration of watercourses into the urban landscape. As a survey result, the population values the water present in the urban landscape and yearns for multifunctional solutions such as green areas and urban gardens, but these have not yet been implemented. Public and private actors recognize the lack of clarity in the legislation, in the definition of concepts and techniques to be adopted. Multifunctional solutions can be in favor of reconciling different interests, promoting the reintegration of rivers into the urban landscape of Lavras.