The work presented in this dissertation discusses large scale flow and transport in river networks and investigates advantages and disadvantages of grid-based and vector-based river networks. This research uses the Mississippi River basin as a continental-case study and the Guadalupe and San Antonio rivers and Seine basin in France as regional-case studies. The first component of this research presents an extension of regional river flow modeling to the continental scale by using high resolution river data from NHDPlus dataset. This research discovers obstacles of flow computations for river a network with hundreds of thousands river segments in continental scales. An upscaling process is developed based on the vector-based river network to decrease the computational effort, and to reduce input file size. This research identifies drainage area as a key factor in the flow simulation, especially in a wet climate. The second component of this research presents an enhanced GIS framework for a steady-state riverine nitrogen transport modeling in the San Antonio and Guadalupe river network. Results show that the GIS framework can be applied to represent a spatial distribution of flow and total nitrogen in a large river network with thousands of connected river segment. However, time features of the GIS environment limit its applicability to large scale time-varied modeling. The third component shows a modeling regional flow and transport with consideration of stream-aquifer interactions at a regional scale at high resolution. The STICS- Eau-Dyssée combined system is implemented for entire seine basin to compute daily nitrate flux in the Seine grid river network. Results show that river-aquifer exchange has a significant impact on river flow and transport modeling in larger river networks. / text

Este trabalho apresenta um procedimento para auxiliar na determinação da vida útil de pavimentos flexíveis através da determinação de tensões e deformações causadas pela solicitação de um eixo padrão na estrutura de pavimentos flexíveis utilizando Redes Neurais Artificiais. Para treinamento e validação das redes foram utilizadas bacias de deflexões hipotéticas geradas com o auxílio do programa ELSYM5, simulando o carregamento com falling weight deflectometer. Foram criados quatro conjuntos de bacias hipotéticas, dois para pavimentos de três camadas e dois para pavimentos de quatro camadas. As redes neurais artificiais foram treinadas e validadas utilizando-se o simulador EasyNN-plus, que utiliza redes multilayer perceptron com algoritmo de aprendizagem backpropagation. Os dados de entrada das redes são as espessuras das camadas do pavimento e a bacia de deflexão. Como saída, têm-se as tensões e deformações na face inferior do revestimento e no topo do subleito e os módulos de resiliência das camadas do pavimento. Foram determinadas retas de regressão, coeficientes de regressão e histogramas de erros entre os valores reais (ELSYM5) e os valores previstos (RNA). Os resultados obtidos pelas redes neurais artificiais apresentaram boa correlação com os valores reais, demonstrando a capacidade das redes neurais para auxiliar na determinação da vida útil de pavimentos flexíveis, ao estimar diretamente as tensões e deformações em pontos específicos da estrutura. / This paper presents a procedure to assist the evaluation of the remaining life of flexible pavements by means of the determination of stresses and strains caused by a standard load in flexible pavements structures using artificial neural networks. Hypothetical deflections basins, generated by the ELSYM5 program, simulating the load applied by a falling weight deflectometer, were used to train and to validate the networks. Four sets of hypothetical basins were created, two for pavements with three layers and two for pavements with four layers. The artificial neural networks were trained and validated using the EasyNN-plus simulator, which uses multilayer perceptron networks with back-propagation learning algorithm. The networks input data are the pavements layers thickness and the deflection basin. The networks outputs are the stresses and strains in the bottom of the asphalt layer and at the top of the subgrade and resilience modulus of the pavement layers. The results obtained by the artificial neural networks showed good correlation with the real values, demonstrating that neural networks have capacity to assist in the evaluation of the remaining life of flexible pavements, estimating directly the stresses and strains of specific points of the pavement structure.

A pesquisa objetiva a composição de cenários de planejamento para o Plano Diretor utilizando-se de medidas de recuperação ambiental através de uma bacia selecionada. São avaliadas simulações hidrológicas através: a) da implantação de: medidas de reúso de águas pluviais com microreservatórios instalados no lote, b) da arborização urbana, c) do reservatório de detenção, d) do coeficiente de permeabilidade, e outras medidas para micro e macro-drenagem. A metodologia utiliza uma base regional para espacializar através de bacias embutidas (MENDIONDO E TUCCI, 1997) a classificação de uso e ocupação do solo para os anos: 1962, 1972 e 1998. Os resultados oferecem diretrizes para novos empreendimentos, loteamentos urbanos e políticas públicas. A situação de passivo ambiental da bacia justifica o estudo em micro-bacias urbanas embutidas. As simulações envolvem cenários retrospectivos de 40 anos, atual e prospectivos de 15 anos com e sem Plano Diretor. Os critérios adotados resultam para o planejamento ambiental melhorias na carga de poluição hídrica e prevê a recuperação de suas funções hidrológicas e ambientais. Inclui-se uma análise de incertezas a partir dos diferentes estados de condições de umidade antecedente que afetam o valor de CN. A partir destes resultados, recomenda-se avaliar novos cenários de planejamento, instrumentação de monitoramento para bacias sem dados que visem o estudo aplicado do aproveitamento de águas pluviais no lote associado às incertezas das previsões hidrológicas dessas bacias sem dados, conforme o programa PUB - Predictions in Ungauged Basins (SIVAPALAN et al, 2003) / The research aims to compose planning scenarios for Master Plan using measures of environmental recovering to control of urban drainage at the scale of an ungauged basin selected. Hydrologic simulations are assessed by the implementation of several measures as: a) indirect impacts of rain water use system in the urban lot, b) urban arborization, c) detention reservoir, d) permeability coefficient and complementary measures at micro and macro drainage. The methodology uses regionally-based nested basins (MENDIONDO e TUCCI, 1997) with a classification of land-use in years: 1962, 1972 and 1998. Results will offer directive to new urban achievements and water policies. Environmental passive situations (diagnosis) at the basin scale justify experimental studies in nested urban micro-basins. The simulations involve retrospective scenarios through 40 years, present state (1998) and prospective scenarios of 15 years with and without master plan. Criteria adopted result in best management practices (BMP’s) in water pollution and foresee recovery of hydrologic environmental functions. Analysis of uncertainties of hydrologic estimations to different antecedent moisture conditions through the CN parameter is also presented and discussed. From these results it is recommended to assess new planning scenarios that aim experimental study, thereby looking forward to proposing new concepts of rain water use, i.e. by using micro reservoir at domiciliary lot. These scenarios are to be depicted into the hydrologic uncertainties at basins without data especially addressing the PUB program - Predictions in Ungauged Basins (SIVAPALAN et al, 2003)

A bacia hidrográfica que compreende o Comitê das Bacias Hidrográficas dos rios Piracicaba, Capivari e Jundiaí (CBH-PCJ) está localizada numa região estratégica do ponto de vista econômico e político, concentrando 4,5 milhões de habitantes e 8% do Produto Interno Bruto (PIB) nacional, além de ser um pólo de pesquisas que reúne universidades estaduais e institutos de pesquisa. Trata-se de uma região altamente desenvolvida com zonas de adensamento populacional, como a região de Campinas, que tem 1 milhão de habitantes e, conseqüentemente, com alta taxa de degradação ambiental. Ao mesmo tempo, a região apresenta uma disponibilidade hídrica muito baixa, de 385 m3 ha-1ano-1, volume que equivale à disponibilidade de países semi-áridos da África, resultando em conflitos pela água na região. Essas características fazem do CBH-PCJ um colegiado modelo no Estado e no país. Esse trabalho teve por objetivo traçar um histórico do Comitê das Bacias Hidrográficas dos rios Piracicaba, Capivari e Jundiaí (CBH-PCJ), desde sua fundação, ocorrida em 1993, até a renovação da outorga do Sistema Cantareira em agosto de 2004. O CBH-PCJ é um colegiado formado por representantes dos governos estadual e municipal, além da sociedade civil (organizações não-governamentais), que tem por finalidade gerir as questões ligadas aos recursos hídricos no âmbito da bacia. O estudo avaliou quantitativamente a participação da sociedade civil nas reuniões plenárias do comitê ao longo de dez anos (1993-2003), por meio das listas de presença das reuniões ordinárias e extraordinárias, relacionando a participação à pauta da reunião. O resultado contrariou a hipótese inicial de baixa participação da sociedade civil em relação aos outros setores do colegiado, representados por municípios e órgãos estaduais. O índice de participação da sociedade civil nas primeiras cinco gestões do colegiado teve mínimas de 56,4%, mas manteve entre 70% e 80% presença nas reuniões. Foram selecionados para análise os dez primeiros anos de funcionamento do colegiado no âmbito do Estado de São Paulo, o que compreende de 1993 até 2003, sendo que neste período o colegiado atuava no âmbito estadual. O trabalho também relacionou a opinião de três sindicatos rurais da região do CBH-PCJ, integrantes da Câmara Técnica Rural, sobre a participação no colegiado. O setor considera a participação desses sindicatos importante no sentido de garantir a representação dos agricultores e os interesses da classe. Esse setor foi escolhido porque é responsável por parte considerável do consumo de água dos mananciais para fins de irrigação de culturas. / The water basin wich understands the Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiai rivers and basin Comitee (CBH-PCJ) is located over a strategic region concerning political and economical view. This region concentrates 4,5 milion inhabitants and 8% of brazilian production, besides its a centre where state universities and institutes base their researches. This is highly developed region in São Paulo State with population gathering zones as Campinas and its surroundings whose 1 milion inhabitants cause great environment degradation. This region presents also low hidrical availability (385 m3 ha-1 year-1) that is similiar to some African countries, wich leads to conflict for water use and supply. Such characteristics turn CBH-PCJ into a model for São Paulo and Brazil. This work aims to draw a historical view of Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí Basins Comitee, from its stablishment in 1993 to the reassignment of Cantareira Sistems concession in 2004. CBH-PCJ is formed by State and cities governments and the civil society, and has the purpose of managing problems related to water sources in these above refered rivers. This study evaluated civil society participation in the Comitee PCJ meetings for ten years - from 1993 to 2003 - throughout presence lists relating meeting topics of frequency. The results went agaist the initial hipotesys of low civil participation in relation to the other State and cities representatives. Civil Society participation rates lowerd to a 56,4% in the first mandates, but sustained in average of 70% to 80% of presence in the meettings. The ten first years of works (1993-2003) when the Comitee actions were taken on the State ambit were selected for this analisys.This essay also relates the opinion of three local rural sindicates, integrals of Rural Technical Council. These sindicates participation is considered to be important to assure agricultors participation and matters as they are responsasible for considerable water consumption for irrigation their crops.

Com o objetivo de promover a reflexão sobre os impactos ambientais ocasionados pela urbanização, avalia-se a relação entre expansão urbana e histórico de ocorrência de inundações e alagamentos em uma cidade média brasileira: São Carlos - SP. O levantamento de notícias históricas de jornal tem como objetivo resgatar informações sobre transformações físico-territoriais e ocorrência de inundações e alagamentos em uma bacia urbana sem sistematização de dados históricos. Os métodos utilizados relacionam dados sobre evolução da urbanização, população e de ocorrência de inundações e alagamentos na bacia do Gregório, especificamente no período de 1940 a 2004. Os resultados demonstram que a urbanização da bacia teve influência no aumento da freqüência de inundações e alagamentos, bem como no aumento da magnitude de seus impactos. Tais resultados indicam que a inclusão do histórico da ocupação territorial é um elemento crucial no processo de tomada de decisões para o planejamento territorial futuro. A abordagem histórica da drenagem urbana fornece subsídios para a implementação de políticas públicas que objetivem a recuperação ambiental e a redução dos impactos gerados por inundações e alagamentos. / To promote reflections about environmental impacts caused by urban occupation, the history process of urban development and flood events at a scale of a medium brazilian (São Carlos - SP) city is outlined. Historic documentation, thereby retrieving past information, is included in order to show up territorial transformations related to inundation frequency increase in flood prone areas. The Methodology consists on the relation of data about the evolution of urbanized area, population and occurrence of flood events on the Gregorio basin, most specifically during the period between 1940 and 2004. Results show that the urbanization of the basin has influence on the increase on flood events frequency, and on the increase of its impacts. The results also show that the inclusion of historical occupation is an asset for decision making towards future planning. Historic elements support public policies looking forward to either river recovering or flood mitigating devices.

Les bassins sédimentaires se développent souvent le long des zones internes d'anciennes chaînes orogéniques. Nous considérons dans ce projet la Péninsule Malaise (Marge Ouest de la Sonde) comme un haut crustal séparant deux régions de croûte continentale étirée ; les bassins d'Andaman/Malacca du côté occidental et les bassins thaïlandais/malais à l'est. Plusieurs stades de rifting ont été documentés grâce à une intense exploration géophysique régionale. Cependant, la corrélation entre les bassins riftés en mer et le noyau continental terrestre est mal connue. Dans ce mémoire, nous explorons par la cartographie, de missions de terrain et les données sismiques, comment ces structures réactivent des hétérogénéités mésozoïques crustales préexistantes. Le noyau continental semble être relativement peu déformé après l'orogénèse triasique Indosinienne. L’épais méga-horst crustal est bordé par des zones de cisaillement complexes (zones de failles de Ranong, Klong Marui et du Batholithe du Main Range) initiées au Crétacé Supérieur/Paléogène inférieur lors d’une déformation transpressive d’échelle crustale et plus tard réactivées à la fin du Paléogène. L'extension est localisée sur les bords de cette épine dorsale crustale le long d'une bande où la précédente déformation crétacée supérieure est bien exprimée. À l'ouest, le plateau continental est aminci en trois étapes principales qui correspondent à des blocs basculés d’échelle crustale bordés par de larges failles contre-régionales profondément enracinées (Bassin de Mergui). À l'est, des systèmes de rifts prononcés sont également présents, avec de grands blocs basculés (les bassins western Thai, de Songkhla et de Chumphon) qui pourraient représenter de grands boudins de croûte. Dans le domaine central, l'extension est limitée à de demi-grabens étroits isolés de direction N-S développés sur une croûte continentale épaisse, et contrôlés par failles normales pelliculaires, qui se développent souvent au contact entre les granitoïdes et l’encaissant. Les bords extérieurs des régions affectées par le boudinage crustal délimitent le bassin d'Andaman plus grand et profond à l'ouest et les bassins Malais et de Pattani à l'est. À une échelle régionale, les bassins riftés ressemblent à des structures en-échelon N-S le long de grandes bandes de cisaillement de NW-SE. Le rifting est accommodé par de larges failles normales à faible pendage (LANF : Low Angle Normal Faults) réactivant les morpho-structures de la croûte telles que de larges plis et batholithes mésozoïques. Les bassins profonds d'Andaman, Malais et de Pattani semblent situés sur une croûte à rhéologie plus faible qui pourrait être héritée des blocs continentaux dérivés du Gondwana (Birmanie, Sibumasu, et Indochine). L'ensemble des long bassins étroits au coeur de la région (bassins de Khien SA, de Krabi, et du Malacca) apparaissent avoir souffert de relativement peu d'extension. Ce travail montre que le cœur de l’orogène Crétacé supérieure est faiblement réactivé avec seulement quelques traces d’un étirement précoce par rapport aux bords qui sont sujets à un amincissement crustal en larges blocs basculés. A mesure que la déformation augmente, le rifting migre et se localise vers les zones externes et sa géométrie apparait plus « molle » suggérant un mécanisme influencé par la thermique. La coexistence de ces deux géométries au sein d’un même cycle de rifting fait de la marge Ouest de la sonde un cas d’étude édifiant. / Sedimentary basins often develop above internal zones of former orogenic belts. We hereafter consider the Malay Peninsula (Western Sunda) as a crustal high separating two regions of stretched continental crust; the Andaman/Malacca basins in the western side and the Thai/Malay basins in the east. Several stages of rifting have been documented thanks to extensive geophysical exploration. However, little is known on the correlation between offshore rifted basins and the onshore continental core. In this paper, we explore through mapping and seismic data, how these structures reactivate pre-existing Mesozoic basement heterogeneities. The continental core appears to be relatively undeformed after the Triassic Indosinian orogeny. The thick crustal mega-horst is bounded by complex shear zones (Ranong, Klong Marui and Main Range Batholith Fault Zones) inititiated during the Late Cretaceous/Early Paleogene during a thick-skin transpressional deformation and later reactivated in the Late Paleogene. The extension is localized on the sides of this crustal backbone along a strip where earlier Late Cretaceous deformation is well expressed. To the west, the continental shelf is underlain by three major crustal steps which correspond to wide crustal-scale tilted blocks bounded by deep rooted counter regional normal faults (Mergui Basin). To the east, some pronounced rift systems are also present, with large tilted blocks (Western Thai, Songkhla and Chumphon basins) which may reflect large crustal boudins. In the central domain, the extension is limited to isolated narrow N-S half grabens developed on a thick continental crust, controlled by shallow rooted normal faults, which develop often at the contact between granitoids and the host-rocks. The outer limits of the areas affected by the crustal boudinage mark the boundary toward the large and deeper Andaman basin in the west and the Malay and Pattani basins in the east. At a regional scale, the rifted basins resemble N-S en-echelon structures along large NW-SE shear bands. The rifting is accommodated by large low angle normal faults (LANF) running along crustal morphostructures such as broad folds and Mesozoic batholiths. The deep Andaman, Malay and Pattani basins seem to sit on weaker crust inherited from Gondwana-derived continental blocks (Burma, Sibumasu, and Indochina). The set of narrow elongated basins in the core of the Region (Khien Sa, Krabi, and Malacca basins) suffered from a relatively lesser extension. This work shows that the core of the late Cretaceous Orogeny is weakly reactivated during the subsequent rifting with only few evidences of stretching whereas its sides are thinned with large tilted blocks. The rifting migrates and localizes on the external regions and its geometry appears more ductile suggesting the influence of a thermal activity in the process. The coexistence of both geometries in a single rifting cycle makes the western margin of Sundaland an enlightening example.

O plano de bacias e o relatório de situação são considerados instrumentos estratégicos para o gerenciamento de recursos hídricos nas bacias hidrográficas do Estado de São Paulo. Contudo, sua efetivação tem sido alvo de muitas críticas, que partem, até mesmo, de representantes dos Comitês. Tais críticas centram-se, principalmente, em dois aspectos, quais sejam: as limitações técnicas dos mesmos para embasar a produção de documentos norteadores de práticas plenamente sustentáveis em termos sócio-ambientais, assim como os obstáculos políticos quanto à capacidade de incitar a efetivação de uma gestão democrática em todas as fases do processo, o que envolveria outras instâncias do sistema de gerenciamento de recursos hídricos. Diante disso, o presente trabalho visa investigar a pertinência dessas críticas, partindo da hipótese de que o tempo de existência do Comitê pode estar diretamente relacionado tanto com a percepção dos problemas relacionados aos diversos usos da água, quanto à sua caracterização como instância política representativa de diferentes usuários. A fim de propiciar uma reflexão sociológica sobre a questão, fez-se uma pesquisa de campo a partir do caso de dois diferentes Comitês de Bacias atuantes no estado de São Paulo. Ao final, podemos constatar que parte de nossas percepções foi confirmada e parte não, sustentando a hipótese de que os comitês estruturados mais cedo foram aqueles onde os problemas relacionados aos recursos hídricos eram mais evidentes na região - como é o caso da bacia dos rios PCJ. No entanto, o tempo de existência de um comitê não pode caracterizá-lo como instância política representante dos interesses dos diversos usuários que dele fazem parte, pois os problemas com relação ao processo de elaboração do Relatório de situação e do plano de bacia, embora em proporções diferenciadas, existem e são comuns em todos os colegiados regionais, independentemente do seu tempo de atuação junto ao sistema de gestão hídrico. / The Basins Plan and the Situation Report are strategic instruments for the administration of hydric resources in the hydrographic basins in São Paulo State. However, their implantation have been receiving criticisms even from the representatives of the Committees. Such criticisms are mainly focused in two aspects, which are, the technical limitations of the same ones to base the production of documents which are orientation of practices fully maintainable in socio-environmental terms, and the political obstacles for the implantation of a democratic administration in all phases of the process, what would involve other authorities of the Hydric Resources Administration System. Due to the above mentioned, the present work seeks to investigate the pertinence of those criticisms, starting from the hypothesis that the time of existence of the Committee can be directly related to the perception of the problems related to the several uses of the water, as well as its characterization as representative political authority of different users. In order to propitiate a sociological reflection on the subject, it make a research on field starting from the case of two different Committees of Basins in São Paulo state. Finally, we can verify that, part of our perceptions was true, sustaining the hypothesis that earlier structured committees were those where the problems related to hidric resources were more evident in the area - as in the case of the basin of therivers PCJ. However, the time of existence of a committee cannot characterize it as a representative political authority of the different users that are part of it, because there are problems in the process of elaboration of the Situation Report and of the Basins Plan, although in different proportions, and they are common in all the regional committees, independently of its time of participation at Hydric Resources Administration System.

Achieving global water sustainability through a resilient international legal architecture presents one of the most pressing challenges within our resource finite planet. A staggering 42 percent of the total land area of the earth is covered by transboundary river basins, where more than 40 percent of the global population lives and depends on the ecosystem services of the 286 transboundary river basins and 200 transboundary aquifers stretching across the political boundaries of 151 countries. There is already evidence of water resources becoming a source of conflict in many regions and constraining a whole myriad of securities – climate, human, environmental, food, economic, energy – on various levels of society. The international legal architecture to manage this critical natural resource is the overarching area of inquiry in this thesis, and requires improvement to address current and predicted future transboundary water challenges, conflicts and strengthen cooperation. Despite the establishment of around 690 river basin treaties, many of these agreements completely miss or provide unclear provisions on principles and rules of international water law. Until recently there was no legally binding global treaty on transboundary watercourses and customary international law has provided the default rules in the absence of agreements and facilitated the re-interpretation of older agreements in accordance with the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Now there are potentially two global treaties, with the recent entry into force of the 1997 UN Watercourses Convention and the global opening up of the 1992 pan-regional United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Water Convention, to all UN member states. There is also a plethora of other international environmental legal and non-legally binding instruments, indirectly addressing international law relevant to transboundary watercourses and freshwater ecosystems. Legal regimes for the protection and use of international river basins cannot be interpreted and applied in isolation from other relevant norms of international environmental and general international law. This thesis seeks to understand the rising role and contribution of regional approaches relevant to international law on transboundary watercourses and freshwater ecosystems. More specifically it explores the contribution of the UNECE Water Convention and other relevant UNECE environmental instruments as a structurally distinctive ‘regime’. This thesis introduces a novel conception of a broader ‘UNECE water regime’ which includes the Water Convention, the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice (Aarhus Convention), the Convention on Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment (Espoo Convention), the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, as well as their protocols and non-binding instruments. This research demonstrates how these instruments and their institutions can be interpreted and understood to form a common framework of rules, principles and approaches which fills critical gaps in basin treaties, and collectively contributes to the clarification and development of international law on transboundary watercourses and freshwater ecosystems. This analysis also explores institutional interaction and coordination between and beyond the UNECE pan-regional agreements, as well as the role of soft law or non-binding instruments, and state and non-state actors in the regime. This thesis seeks to contribute to a more coherent understanding of the relationship between the UNECE water regime, international water law, international environmental law and general international law. The UNECE water regime has contributed to clarifying many of the cornerstone rules and principles of international water law and it is argued that the UNECE water regime is lex specialis, which can and mostly does go beyond the UN Watercourses Convention. The UNECE water regime has also arguably spearheaded a paradigm shift in international water law, which sees it moving beyond its historically predominant focus on issues of transboundary impact and utilisation towards a stronger ecosystem orientated approach to environmental protection and equitable use of transboundary river basins. This research identifies key elements of an ecosystem approach, drawing from international environmental and international water law and demonstrates how the ecosystem approach, including ecosystem services, as supported by the UNECE water regime, affects interpretation of international water law towards enhancing ecosystem protection and intra-state equity. This research also explores how the UNECE regime goes beyond what exists elsewhere in international law and international water law on public participation and access to justice. Finally, this research examines the contribution of the UNECE regime vis-à-vis international and European Union water law, across the spectrum of pan-European river basins, especially focusing on the Danube, Sava and Western Bug basins. The UNECE water regime is the most evolved pan-regional regime of its kind, providing ambitious detailed standards and clarification of rules and principles relevant to transboundary watercourses and freshwater ecosystems. It also provides a valuable model of institutional cooperation, progressively engaging state and non-state actors. As this regime takes steps towards realising its global ambition, with almost all instruments now open to all UN member states, and the recent accession by Chad to the Water Convention, this analysis demonstrates why this is predominantly a positive endeavour but also highlights potential challenges and hurdles. This research thus explores the implications and benefits of the UNECE’s rising role in strengthening the international legal architecture to protect the world’s fragile transboundary watercourses and freshwater ecosystems.

Acompanhamos, nas últimas décadas, a temática ambiental se transformar em um dos principais desafios para a humanidade. Sua dimensão transnacional, alcançada quando os limites naturais não coincidem com os limites políticos, potencializa a complexidade da problemática. Em conseqüência, temas como sustentabilidade e segurança ambiental passam a ocupar posições de destaque na agenda internacional, fato que demanda novas interpretações da concepção clássica de soberania. A questão das águas transfronteiriças superficiais - águas que escoam sobre bacias hidrográficas internacionais - representa uma materialização dos desafios mencionados acima, sobretudo porque esses recursos correspondem a maior parcela da água doce superficial e estão sujeitos a severas ameaças. Entre elas: o consumo excessivo de estoques hídricos limitados, que vem provocando uma crise de escassez; além dos antagonismos inerentes à necessidade de compartilhamento desses recursos, que motivam concorrências entre distintos interesses nacionais. Em função disso, surgem preocupações e questionamentos referentes à capacidade de a água gerar, ou acirrar, tensões internacionais. Partindo das intrínsecas relações entre território e política, essa dissertação identifica as variáveis ligadas ao potencial conflitivo/cooperativo das águas transfronteiriças superficiais. Em meio a essa tarefa, temos oportunidade de discutir como os novos temas da agenda internacional incidem nessa questão. A análise da bacia do rio Danúbio, como estudo de caso, comprova que as águas transfronteiriças superficiais podem deteriorar as relações entre países e que circunstâncias geográficas e políticas são cruciais na definição dos interesses dos Estados e, conseqüentemente, na qualidade do desfecho da questão. / In the last decades we have seen the environmental issues being transformed into one of the main challenges for humanity. Their transnational dimension is reached when natural limits do not coincide with political ones, enhancing, therefore, the complexity of the problem. Consequently, topics such as sustainability and environmental security start to acquire an outstanding position in the international agenda, which demands new interpretations of the classic concept of sovereignty. The concern related to superficial transboundary waters - waters that flow on international river basins - represents a materialization of the challenges mentioned above, mainly because these sources correspond to the greatest share of superficial fresh water and are submitted to severe threats. Among them we can mention: the excessive consumption of limited water supplies, which has been provoking a lack of water crisis; in addition to it there are the inherent antagonisms related to the necessity of sharing these sources, which motivates the competition between distinct national interests. On account of these interests, worries and questions appear referring to the capability the water has to generate or instigate international tensions. Taking as a starting point the intrinsic relationship between territory and politics, this dissertation identifies the variables linked to the conflictive/cooperative potential of the superficial transboundary waters. Whilst pursuing this task, we have the opportunity to discuss the way the new topics of the international agenda approach this matter. The analysis of the Danube river basin, as a case study, proves that superficial transboundary waters can spoil the relationships between countries and that geographic and political circumstances are crucial for the definition of the countries interests and, consequently, for the quality of the outcome of this matter.

Submitted by Verena Bastos (verena@uefs.br) on 2015-10-02T12:27:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_Augusto.pdf: 6330592 bytes, checksum: 7a24562999e9032ffc8a232b0d94049e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-02T12:27:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_Augusto.pdf: 6330592 bytes, checksum: 7a24562999e9032ffc8a232b0d94049e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-26 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / The action of man over nature haphazardly and without adequate planning has led to imbalances in the various terrestrial ecosystems. Thus, it is necessary to formulate strategies to facilitate the balance between human activities and the strengths and weaknesses of environmental systems. One of the strategies used today is the analysis of the use and land cover across sub-basins, an innovation of the technique. Based on that this work has as main objective to analyze changes in land use and land cover in the municipality of Villa Nova, BA, through the use of geotechnology, for the years 1996, 2003 and 2011. The study area is located in the far north of the state of Bahia, Bahia and semi-arid shores of Lake Sobradinho, between the geographical coordinates 41?53' W and 40?39' W and 8?42' S and 09?47' S. The multitemporal analysis for use and land cover featured images of LANDSAT 5 TM, belonging to the municipality for the years 1996, 2003 and 2011, and to reach the purpose were followed methodological procedures that guided this research, structured in four steps: the first step were acquired vector data (GIS database from various sources) and raster data (Landsat and ASTER MDT). The second stage consisted in pre-processing of LANDSAT scenes where applied fixes atmospheric tilt solar and geometric mosaic and clip area. The third step was the digital image processing by performing statistical analysis, preparation of colored compositions, contrast enhancement, image classification and filtering. The fourth step was the post-processing is performed fieldwork for data collection with the help of GPS, these data provided support the calculation of Kappa indices, PABAK and errors of commission and omission, validating the maps with the realization of cross-tabulation between use and land cover, the years of study, and sub-basins extracted from the digital terrain model. The results from this study showed there were changes over time, such as farming areas which decreased missing for other uses. The techniques used allowed the identification of dynamic classes use and land cover in the study region. / A a??o do homem sobre a natureza de forma desorganizada e sem um planejamento adequado vem provocando desequil?brios nos diversos ecossistemas terrestres. Dessa forma, ? necess?rio formular estrat?gias que possibilitem o equil?brio entre a a??o antr?pica e as potencialidades e fragilidades dos sistemas ambientais. Umas das estrat?gias mais utilizadas atualmente ? a an?lise do uso e cobertura das terras atrav?s de sub-bacias hidrogr?ficas, uma inova??o da t?cnica de an?lise. Com base nisso este trabalho tem como objetivo principal analisar as mudan?as no uso e cobertura das terras no munic?pio de Casa Nova, BA, por meio do uso das geotecnologias, no per?odo de 1996, 2003 e 2011. A ?rea de estudo localiza-se no extremo Norte do estado da Bahia, semi?rido baiano e ?s margens do Lago de Sobradinho, entre as coordenadas geogr?ficas 41?53? W e 40?39? W e 8?42? S e 09?47? S. A an?lise multitemporal para o uso e cobertura das terras contou com imagens do sat?lite LANDSAT 5 TM, pertencente ao munic?pio, dos anos de 1996, 2003 e 2011, e para chegar ao objetivo proposto foram seguidos procedimentos metodol?gicos que nortearam essa pesquisa, estruturados em quatro etapas: na primeira etapa foram adquiridos os dados vetoriais (base de dados em SIG de v?rias fontes) e dados raster (LANDSAT e do MDT ASTER). A segunda etapa constituiu no pr?-processamento das cenas do LANDSAT, onde se aplicou corre??es atmosf?rica, inclina??o solar e geom?trica, mosaico e recorte da ?rea. A terceira etapa foi o processamento digital de imagem realizando an?lise estat?stica, elabora??o das composi??es coloridas, realce de contraste, classifica??o da imagem e filtragem. A quarta etapa foi o p?sprocessamento, executou-se o trabalho de campo para coleta de dados com o aux?lio do GPS, estes dados subsidiaram o c?lculo dos ?ndices de Kappa, PABAK e dos erros de Comiss?o e Omiss?o, validando os mapas, com a realiza??o da tabula??o cruzada entre o uso e cobertura das terras, dos anos de estudo, e as sub-bacias extra?das do modelo digital do terreno. Os resultados oriundos dessa pesquisa mostraram houve modifica??es ao longo do tempo, como por exemplo, a agropecu?ria que decresceu perdendo ?reas para outros usos. As t?cnicas usadas possibilitaram a identifica??o da din?mica das classes de uso e cobertura das terras na regi?o de estudo.