Suicide has drawn much attention from both the scientific community and the public. Examining the impact of socio-environmental factors on suicide is essential in developing suicide prevention strategies and interventions, because it will provide health authorities with important information for their decision-making. However, previous studies did not examine the impact of socio-environmental factors on suicide using a spatial analysis approach. The purpose of this study was to identify the patterns of suicide and to examine how socio-environmental factors impact on suicide over time and space at the Local Governmental Area (LGA) level in Queensland. The suicide data between 1999 and 2003 were collected from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Socio-environmental variables at the LGA level included climate (rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature), Socioeconomic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) and demographic variables (proportion of Indigenous population, unemployment rate, proportion of population with low income and low education level). Climate data were obtained from Australian Bureau of Meteorology. SEIFA and demographic variables were acquired from ABS. A series of statistical and geographical information system (GIS) approaches were applied in the analysis. This study included two stages. The first stage used average annual data to view the spatial pattern of suicide and to examine the association between socio-environmental factors and suicide over space. The second stage examined the spatiotemporal pattern of suicide and assessed the socio-environmental determinants of suicide, using more detailed seasonal data. In this research, 2,445 suicide cases were included, with 1,957 males (80.0%) and 488 females (20.0%). In the first stage, we examined the spatial pattern and the determinants of suicide using 5-year aggregated data. Spearman correlations were used to assess associations between variables. Then a Poisson regression model was applied in the multivariable analysis, as the occurrence of suicide is a small probability event and this model fitted the data quite well. Suicide mortality varied across LGAs and was associated with a range of socio-environmental factors. The multivariable analysis showed that maximum temperature was significantly and positively associated with male suicide (relative risk [RR] = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.07). Higher proportion of Indigenous population was accompanied with more suicide in male population (male: RR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.03). There was a positive association between unemployment rate and suicide in both genders (male: RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.06; female: RR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.16). No significant association was observed for rainfall, minimum temperature, SEIFA, proportion of population with low individual income and low educational attainment. In the second stage of this study, we undertook a preliminary spatiotemporal analysis of suicide using seasonal data. Firstly, we assessed the interrelations between variables. Secondly, a generalised estimating equations (GEE) model was used to examine the socio-environmental impact on suicide over time and space, as this model is well suited to analyze repeated longitudinal data (e.g., seasonal suicide mortality in a certain LGA) and it fitted the data better than other models (e.g., Poisson model). The suicide pattern varied with season and LGA. The north of Queensland had the highest suicide mortality rate in all the seasons, while there was no suicide case occurred in the southwest. Northwest had consistently higher suicide mortality in spring, autumn and winter. In other areas, suicide mortality varied between seasons. This analysis showed that maximum temperature was positively associated with suicide among male population (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.47) and total population (RR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.32). Higher proportion of Indigenous population was accompanied with more suicide among total population (RR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.19) and by gender (male: RR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.13; female: RR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.48). Unemployment rate was positively associated with total (RR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.24 to 1.59) and female (RR=1.09, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.18) suicide. There was also a positive association between proportion of population with low individual income and suicide in total (RR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.48) and male (RR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.23 to 1.72) population. Rainfall was only positively associated with suicide in total population (RR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.19). There was no significant association for rainfall, minimum temperature, SEIFA, proportion of population with low educational attainment. The second stage is the extension of the first stage. Different spatial scales of dataset were used between the two stages (i.e., mean yearly data in the first stage, and seasonal data in the second stage), but the results are generally consistent with each other. Compared with other studies, this research explored the variety of the impact of a wide range of socio-environmental factors on suicide in different geographical units. Maximum temperature, proportion of Indigenous population, unemployment rate and proportion of population with low individual income were among the major determinants of suicide in Queensland. However, the influence from other factors (e.g. socio-culture background, alcohol and drug use) influencing suicide cannot be ignored. An in-depth understanding of these factors is vital in planning and implementing suicide prevention strategies. Five recommendations for future research are derived from this study: (1) It is vital to acquire detailed personal information on each suicide case and relevant information among the population in assessing the key socio-environmental determinants of suicide; (2) Bayesian model could be applied to compare mortality rates and their socio-environmental determinants across LGAs in future research; (3) In the LGAs with warm weather, high proportion of Indigenous population and/or unemployment rate, concerted efforts need to be made to control and prevent suicide and other mental health problems; (4) The current surveillance, forecasting and early warning system needs to be strengthened, to trace the climate and socioeconomic change over time and space and its impact on population health; (5) It is necessary to evaluate and improve the facilities of mental health care, psychological consultation, suicide prevention and control programs; especially in the areas with low socio-economic status, high unemployment rate, extreme weather events and natural disasters.

The thesis deals with analysis of development of land use in territory of interest, specifically in land registry of municipality of Batelov, specifically in the period from 1836 to 2009. Entire work related to analysis of the material took place in the program ArcMap. The result of the work is represented by graphic and chart output explaining all the transformation in land use that occured in the monitoring period. The outline of possible reasons thet caused the transformation is comprised in the thesis as well.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-12-18Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:45:27Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 bendini_jn_dr_botfmvz.pdf: 529177 bytes, checksum: a53a8964c181be6747c777213e53fd3b (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo realizar o mapeamento dos apiários da microrregião de Campos do Jordão, por meio do Sistema de Informações Geográficas (SIG), gerando uma base de dados relacionada a características referentes à procedência do apicultor regional em relação à distribuição espacial, número de colméias e produtividade. A referida microrregião apresenta, de acordo com o presente estudo, 54 apicultores distribuídos pelos seus 04 municípios, onde a atividade apícola é desenvolvida por pequenos produtores que possuem no máximo 70 colméias. O SIG mostrou-se uma ferramenta eficiente para a avaliação do desenvolvimento da atividade apícola da Microrregião de Campos do Jordão e servirá como instrumento de monitoramento da procedência do produto regional, principalmente para se orientar quanto à melhor distribuição futura de suas respectivas unidades apícolas, podendo gerar resultados positivos na produtividade melífera. / The objective of this paper was mapping the apiaries of the micro region of Campos do Jordão, through the Geographical Information System (GIS), generating a database related to beekeeper's characteristics as their space distribution, number of beehives and productivity. According to the present study, the micro region has 54 beekeepers distributed in 04 municipalities, where beekeeping activity is developed by a small group of producers who can own at the most 70 hives. As a result, the GIS has proved to be an efficient tool to evaluate the development of the beekeeping activity at the micro region of Campos de Jordão. Furthermore, it will be useful as a reference to monitor the origin of the regional final product, especially to lead the producers for a best distribution of their respective apiaries. Moreover, the finding could produce positive results in the melliferous productivity.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-03-02Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:17:36Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 cuelbas_lp_me_ilha.pdf: 2115644 bytes, checksum: f3080604473d2817e7f0854ab397b883 (MD5) / Ctgeo-Lins / O estudo foi realizado na microbacia do Córrego Campestre que está localizada no Município de Lins, Estado de São Paulo, compreendendo uma área de 80 km2. Nessa área está inserida a Cidade de Lins com uma área urbana de 20 km2, perfazendo 25% da microbacia em estudo. Através das coletas e análises de amostras de água, no período de seca e chuva, dos principais córregos da microbacia do Córrego Campestre, foi possível obter resultados do Índice de Qualidade da Água - ÍQA. Com bases nos resultados combinados, com as informações obtidas através das imagens de satélite e fotos dos locais, constatou-se que os efeitos das atividades antrópicas principais desenvolvidas na região urbana, a urbanização e lançamentos de resíduos nos cursos d'água sem nenhuma forma de tratamento, provocaram elevados teores de matéria orgânica e coliformes, comprovado através da analise das características físico-químicas e bacteriológicas. Constatou-se também, a partir das observações feitas in loco, fortes evidências de degradação da microbacia, principalmente por um antigo lixão que está localizado às margens do Córrego Campestre. Através da analise das imagens de satélite, utilizando um Sistema de Informações Geográficas - SIG, foi possível identificar a inexistência de vegetação ciliar, o que contribuiu para o carregamento de resíduos poluentes do solo aos cursos d'água após as chuvas intensas. / The study it was carried through in the microwatershed of the Campestre Stream that is located in the region of the Lins city, São Paulo State, understanding an area of 80 km 2. In this area the Lins city with an urban area of 20 is inserted km 2, with about 25% of the microwatershed in study. Through the collections and analyze chemistry of samples of water, in the drought periods and rain, of the main streams in the microwatershed of the Rural Stream, it was possible like this to obtain results of the Index of Quality of the Water - ÍQA and analyses of the parameters physical, chemical and biological. Those combined results with the information obtained through the satellite images and pictures of the places, it was verified that the effects of the activities main human actions developed in the urban area, the urbanization and releases of residues in the courses of water without any handling form, they provoked high tenors of organic matter, coliformes and nutritious, proven through it analyzes it of the physiochemical and bacteriological characteristics. It was also verified, starting from the observations done in loco , strong evidences of degradation of the microwatershed mainly for an old deposit garbage that is located to the margins of the Rural Stream. Through it analyzes her/it of the satellite images, being used... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

A malária é a mais importante doença tropical do mundo. Em muitos países, especialmente no continente africano, causa grandes prejuízos com custos médicos e dias de trabalho perdidos. O risco de contrair malária está relacionado a alterações ambientais causadas por atividades como construções de estradas, projetos de mineração, agricultura e irrigação, particularmente em áreas da região amazônica e sudeste asiático. Entre outras causas da expansão desta endemia no mundo, pode-se incluir as mudanças climáticas, desintegração dos serviços de saúde e movimentos migratórios. Em áreas onde a malária é endêmica, o monitoramento das larvas e de populações de mosquitos adultos é de grande importância para o controle da doença. Novas ferramentas são necessárias para este processo, dentre os quais, as técnicas de sensoriamento remoto e os sistemas de informação geográfica (SIG). Essas técnicas têm reduzido custos e tempo nas pesquisas epidemiológicas, pois são usadas em escala regional para identificar tipos de vegetação, alterações ambientais que podem favorecer a proliferação de vetores da doença. Dada à gravidade da malária na região amazônica, este trabalho tem por objetivo entender como os padrões de distribuição espacial dos casos de malária na região da Usina Hidrelétrica de Tucuruí-PA se relacionam com os padrões de ocupação da terra, induzidos por sua implantação. Foi utilizado um conjunto de dados que incluem imagens TM-LANDSAT5 e SAR-RADARSAT para o levantamento de uso da terra os municípios de Tucuruí, Novo Repartimento e Jacundá e também para monitorar a variação sazonal do reservatório da UHE de Tucurui, além de uma série histórica de dados de malária do período compreendido entre 1992 a 2001. Esses dados foram integrados e analisados por meio do software SPRING 3.6. Foi constatado que os municípios de Novo Repartimento e Tucuruí, por possuírem grandes áreas de contato com o reservatório, apresentaram maiores problemas com a malária e que a variação temporal da doença, nesta região, está relacionada com o ciclo do reservatório, com a precipitação e com a dinâmica da população. / Malaria is the most important tropical disease in the world. In many countries, specially in the African continent, malaria is responsible for huge economical losses with medical bills and absenteeism. Malaria risk relates to environmental change derived from road construction, mining activities, agriculture and irrigation mainly in forested areas such as Amazon region and southern Asia. Among the causes explaining the spread of this endemic disease in the world, one can include climatic changes, healthy service breakdown and migration. At malaria endemic areas, larva and mosquito monitoring is highly important for disease control. New tools however are needed such as remote sensing and geographical information system in epidemic areas. These techniques have been responsible for reducing the time and cost of epidemiological researches, since they are used in a regional scale for assessing environmental disturbance apt to spreading of malaria vectors. Due to the threat of malaria in the Amazon region, this research aims to understand the relationship between land use changes induced by UHE-Tucuruí construction and the spatial distribution of malaria incidence in the region. LANDSAT5-TM and RADARSAT-SAR images were used respectively for land use mapping at Tucuruí, Novo Repartimento and Jacundá municipality and for monitoring the seasonal variation of UHE Tucuruí reservoir flooded area. A historic series of malaria data acquired for the National Health Foundation between 1992 and 2001 was also used. These data were integrated and analyzed with the aid of the SPRING 3.6 software. It was determined that Novo Repartimento and Tucuruí with large areas bounded by the reservoir are more prone to malaria incidence and that the time change in the disease in this region is related to the hydrology and reservoir operation, as well as with the precipitation and population dynamic.

Orientador: Diogenes Cortijo Costa / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-09T19:17:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pedro_FabioGiardini_M.pdf: 1043134 bytes, checksum: 196efd498a82a12f1c3cf1b268e7e56f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Os acidentes com Transporte Rodoviário de Produtos Perigosos (TRPP) têm sido motivo de preocupação devido aos problemas que podem causar à população com respeito à segurança e à saúde e, sobremaneira ao meio ambiente, devido à vulnerabilidade ambiental de áreas, tais como cursos d'água, usos da terra e possibilidade de impactos pela infiltração de produtos perigos no solo causando danos ao lençol freático. O município de Campinas por possuir um parque industrial químico, localizar-se próximo a Refinaria de Paulínia e apresentar um intenso fluxo de veículos de transporte de cargas perigosas na sua malha viária, potencializa, em caso de acidente, os danos à população e ao meio ambiente. Portanto, este estudo tem como objetivo a análise dos acidentes ocorridos com TRPP para identificação das freqüências de ocorrência de tipo, classe, localização e conseqüência do acidente e utilização de um modelo conceitual de análise do risco do dano ambiental envolvendo TRPP no município de Campinas implementado em Sistema de Informações Geográficas (SIG), para a identificação dos trechos críticos das rodovias. Os dados de acidentes com TRPP foram analisados, para o período de 1997 a 2004, nas principais rodovias que cruzam o município. A rodovia SP-065 (D.Pedro I) destacou-se das demais apresentando maior incidência de acidentes seguida pelas rodovias SP-348 (Bandeirantes) e SP-330 (Anhangüera). Os tipos de produtos envolvidos nos acidentes com TRPP mais freqüentes foram: combustíveis para motores, inclusive gasolina, o etanol (álcool etílico ou soluções de etanol) e gás(es) de petróleo, liquefeito. Foi verificado que o valor mais expressivo de acidentes com TRPP ocorreu com a classe de produtos perigosos dos líquidos inflamáveis. Em outra análise o modelo conceitual de risco de dano ambiental, que leva em consideração a probabilidade de ocorrência de acidentes com TRPP e as gravidades de dano populacional e ambiental, considerandose cursos d'água, uso da terra e possibilidade de atingir o lençol freático, permitiu identificar os trechos das principais rodovias de Campinas, de mais alto risco, como sendo: SP-065, trecho 126-134Km; SP-065, trecho 138-146Km e SP-348, trecho 7687Km. Ainda, através do modelo foram desenvolvidos mapas de risco de dano ambiental por acidentes com TRPP. Esse modelo conceitual possibilita identificar áreas críticas no sistema viário e podem subsidiar decisões de mitigação do dano ambiental e escolha de rotas alternativas pelo uso de rodovias de menor risco, pelos expedidores, transportadores e órgãos de fiscalização rodoviária / Abstract: Highway accidents involving a vehicle transporting hazardous goods may cause extensive material, human and mainly environmental damage. Most of the areas crossed by highways are environmentally vulnerable due to the presence of creeks and rivers, different land use and possibility of the ground water being reached by the transported products. The county of Campinas, in the São Paulo State, Brazil is characterized by its large chemical industry area, where the Paulínia Refinery (REPLAN) is situated, showing an intense traffic of vehicles transporting hazardous materials (HAZMAT) through the highways. This situation may induce, in case of an accident, severe damage to population and the environment. Therefore the analysis of the accidents .involving HAZMAT was done aiming to identify their frequency according to the kind and class of the product, location and consequence of the accident. Also a conceptual mode was used for analyzing the environmental risk involved in transportation of HAZMAT at Campinas, allowing to show the most critical highway stretches. The accidents with vehicle transporting HAZMAT were analyzed for the main highways crossing Campinas during the period: 1997 to 2004. The highway SP-065 showed the highest number of accidents followed by the SP-348 and SP-330. The more frequent kind of HAZMAT involved in the accidents were: motor fuel, including gasoline, alcohol and liquid gas. The HAZMA T class of inflammable liquids showed the highest frequency in the accidents. The conceptual model used for analyzing environmental risk takes into account the probability of occurrence of a HAZMAT transportation accident and the population and environment gravity of damage. Considering the presence of creeks and/or rivers, 1800 use and the possibility of the HAZMA T reach the ground water by soil permeability several highway stretches were identified as being of very high risk: SP-065, from Km 126 to 134; SP-065, from Km 138 to 146 and SP-348 and SP-348, from Km 76 to 87. The mathematical model was implemented in a geographical information system allowing to produce environmental risk maps of HAZMAT vehicle transportation accidents showing the most dangerous areas aiming to help the actions involved in damage mitigation and route comparison of dangerous goods highway transportation / Mestrado / Saneamento e Ambiente / Mestre em Engenharia Civil

Orientador: Ricardo da Silva Torres / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T06:57:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gil_FabianaBellette_M.pdf: 2506432 bytes, checksum: c36032e2712dd0bb87860b8f711db596 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: Estudos na área de biodiversidade baseiam-se no uso de dados relacionados a coletas em campo. Normalmente estes dados estão associados a uma localização geográfica. Grande parte dos sistemas de biodiversidade oferece recursos básicos para armazenamento e consulta de dados geográficos. Esta dissertação apresenta um modelo de dados e um serviço Web para correlacionar dados de biodiversidade e dados geográficos, baseados no conceito de Informação Sobreposta (Superimposed Information). Informação sobreposta é uma nova informação (ou nova interpretação) sobre uma informação existente. Pode estar na forma de um novo conteúdo ou novas estruturas. Esta dissertação descreve a utilização do conceito de Superimposed Information para a construção de um serviço Web para anotação de dados geográficos vetoriais. A especificação do serviço Web inclui a definição de uma API genérica para manipulação de anotações e a definição de um modelo de dados para gerenciamento de informações sobrepostas. A solução foi validada a partir da implementação de um protótipo para a área de biodiversidade considerando um potencial cenário de uso / Abstract: Biodiversity studies are often based on the use of data associated with field observations. These data are usually associated with a geographic location. Most of existing biodiversity information systems provide basic support for storing and quering geographic data. This work presents a data model and a Web service to correlate biodiversity data and geographic information, based on the concept of Superimposed Information. Superimposed Information is a new information (or new interpretation) over existing information usually in the form of new content or new structures. This work uses the concept of Superimposed Information for constructing a Web service for annotating vector geographic data. The Web service specification includes the definition of a generic API for handling annotations and the definition of a data model for managing Superimposed information.The solution was validated through the implementation of a prototype for the biodiversity area considering a potential usage scenario / Mestrado / Banco de Dados / Mestre em Ciência da Computação

Devido ao seu crescimento acelerado o município de Curitiba deverá, em breve, ter seu espaço subterrâneo ocupado com maior intensidade. Este processo deve ser devidamente planejado, levando-se em conta as propriedades geotécnicas do subsolo. Assim, buscou-se desenvolver e aplicar um método de caracterização geotécnica do meio urbano para fins de planejamento do espaço subterrâneo. O trabalho consistiu no mapeamento tridimensional das principais unidades geotécnicas e na sua caracterização em termos de adequação para obras subterrâneas. Para tanto, inicialmente, reuniu-se dados geotécnicos existentes (sondagens, poços, mapas topográficos), e levantou-se pontos em campo. A partir do mapa topográfico gerou-se imagens artificiais do terreno, que foram reunidas aos demais dados em um sistema de informações geográficas (SIG). Este processo permitiu a elaboração de um mapa geológico simplificado. Os dados armazenados no sistema (SPT, profundidades das unidades geológicas, entre outros) passaram por uma filtragem, sendo exportados para a realização de análises geoestatísticas, interpolações e geração de cartas de isovalores. Grades regulares com valores interpolados foram então inseridas no SIG, constituindo-se um modelo geotécnico digital tridimensional que permite a navegação virtual entre unidades geotécnicas. Através de classificação geomecânica determinou-se as condições de suporte e estabilidade para possíveis túneis em rochas do município. No caso dos solos realizaram-se análises limite considerando informações de campo e ensaios SPT. Integrando- e, em um único documento, cartas de profundidade das unidades geotécnicas, o mapa geológico simplificado e informações construtivas para túneis, gerou-se um mapa orientativo para a construção de obras subterrâneas no município de Curitiba. Este mapa pode ser diretamente aplicado no planejamento de ocupação do subterrâneo. / Due to its fast population increase, the city of Curitiba will soon have to use its underground space. However, underground space use should be previously planned, taking geotechnical information into consideration. Therefore, the present research is intended to develop and apply an urban geotechnical characterisation method for underground space planning. The work consisted of a 3D mapping of main geotechnical units and determination of their suitability for underground constructions. At first, existing geotechnical data, such as borehole logs, well logs and topographic maps, have been collected and stored. Field studies were carried out subsequently. Digital terrain models have been obtained from topographic maps, and integrated with the other data in a geographical information system (GIS). This process allowed for the production of a simplified geological map. The stored data have been filtered and exported for the development of geostatistical analysis, interpolations and contour maps. Interpolated grids were then reinserted in the GIS software, where a 3D digital geotechnical model has been produced, permitting virtual navigation through soil layers. Tunnel stability and support design evaluations have been performed by means of rock mass classifications. For soil tunnel stability and support assessments, field studies and N-SPT correlations have been used along with limit analysis. A decision support geotechnical map for underground constructions has been obtained by representing, in a single document: the simplified geological map, geotechnical unit depth contour charts, tunnel stability and support analysis results. This decision support map may be directly applied for underground space planning activities.

Um quadro diagnóstico da Área de proteção Ambiental(APA) do Capivari Monos foi elaborado com informações produzidas através da aplicação de geoprocessamento e sensoriamento remoto. Essa Unidade de Conservação se localiza no extremo sul do município de São Paulo, onde ainda existem importantes fragmentos de Mata Atlântica e mananciais hídricos estratégicos para a Região Metropolitana de São Paulo . Um Mapa Geomorfológico foi produzido com o apoio de um Modelo Numérico de Terreno. Com a aplicação de Álgebra de Mapas, foram integrados os dados sobre Geotecnia e Geomorfologia e um mapa de Fragilidade do Meio Físico foi elaborado. As condições de hidrografia e relevo apontaram indícios de movimentação tectônica recente na região. Imagens dos Satélites Landsat-5 e Landsat-7 foram comparadas, com o emprego de técnicas de detecção de mudanças, para a quantificação do desmatamento no período entre 1991 e 2000. As imagens do satélite Landsat-7 foram classificadas, através do método supervisionado por regiões, para produção de um mapa temático de Uso do Solo e Cobertura Vegetal. Os resultados foram quantificados por sub-bacias hidrográficas, compondo um quadro comparativo que se destina a subsidiar a gestão ambiental da APA. Esses resultados mostram que o crescimento da ocupação urbana se concentra na bacia da Billings, principalmente na subbacia da Cratera de Colônia, onde a fragilidade do meio físico foi considerada muito alta. / Through the application of Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing it was elaborated a chart diagnosis for Capivari-Monos Environmental Protection Area. This Conservation Unit is located in the south end of São Paulo city where important Atlantic Forest fragments and strategic water spring still exist. With the support of a Digital Terrain Model it was produced a Geomorphologic map. Applying Map Algebra the data on Geothecnics and Geomorphorlogy had been integrated for mapping the fragility of physical environment. Relief and hidrography conditions pointed indications of neotectonic movements in this region. Employing change detection techniques in Landsat-7 images the deforestation between 1991 and 2000 was evaluated. A land use and land cover map was produced trough Landsat-7 image classification ( supervised per region method). The results show that the urban growth concentrates on the basin of Billings, mainly at the Cratera de Colônia sub-basin where the fragility regarding to phisical environment was considered very high.

Decision making processes of natural resources for sustainable development are very complex processes that contain large amounts of contradicting criteria and alternatives and/or objectives. Hence efficiency of planning and decision making is highly dependent on the structure of the decision problems. In this re-spect Multi Criteria Decision Aid (MCDA) is the most widely used method. Particularly GIS-based MCDA using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a well-known method in this respect. However, there are interrelationships and interdependences among problems of the real world. As a result, many spatial problems cannot be structured hierarchally because the importance of the criteria determines the importance of the alternatives, and the importance of the alternatives also determines the importance of the criteria. Analytical Network Process (ANP) based MCDA is a new planning and decision making ap-proach that allows the decision problem to be modeled considering feedbacks and interdependence among criteria. This study critically reviews GIS-based MCDA using the AHP method and the ANP based MCDA method and forwarded recommendations for future works. To attain this, practical decision making processes were used of urban form selection for a sustainable development of the Stockholm region. For this purpose literature was reviewed, separate methodologies were developed, criteria were formulated to be analyzed using GIS and SuperDecision software‟s, and finally reasonable results were achieved and separately presented to critically evaluate both the methods and the outcome. This study showed that GIS has the potential to be an important decision aid tool, that the ANP seems to give more realistic results than the GIS-based MCDA method, and that a compact scenario that over time follows already established polycentric pattern would be the best alternative urban form for a sustainable develop-ment of Greater Stockholm.