Demografia, saúde e áreas verdes na elaboração de um índice de vulnerabilidade socioambiental nos municípios da microrregião de Porto Seguro – BA

Abstract

The concept of vulnerability is a term still under construction, since which is usually applied to different areas of knowledge, and which can be defined in terms of according to its use in different fields that need this plurality and variety. Knowledge of the vulnerability of a given region to health challenges, help to foresee scenarios, plan better, define and operationalize strategies for confrontation. This study developed a “green” socio-environmental vulnerability index (IVSA+V), considering three dimensions, demographic, health and environmental, in the micro-region of Porto Seguro, Bahia, through secondary data of ten variables (Arborea Coverage urban; Municipal Human Development Index; Development Index of Basic education; Estimated Population; Population density; Sanitary sewage; Garbage collection; SUS Health Establishments; Infant Mortality and Arboviruses) period from 2010 to 2018, available on public agency websites. IVSA+V is an index synthetic to consider the interaction between sociodemographic, health and environmental issues, but considering urban tree cover as one of the determinants in vulnerability assessment. The municipalities of Itagimirim, Itamaraju, Itanhém, Lajedão, Mucuri, Santa Cruz Cabrália and Vereda showed a low IVSA+V, while IVSA+V was moderate for most cities: Alcobaça, Caravelas, Eunápolis, Guaratinga, Ibirapuã, Itabela, Itabela, Jucuruçu, Medeiros Neto, Nova Viçosa, Porto Seguro, Prado and Teixeira de Freitas. Despite growing studies indicating that a “greener” environment, improves the resilience of cities and their populations, positively influencing the quality life and health, there was no conclusive evidence to include tree cover as an important component in the vulnerability indexes, in the model developed in this study, given that no good to very strong correlation was found with IVSA+V.The variables chosen, the weights assigned and the statistical strategy chosen do not seem to favor a relationship between tree cover and the vulnerability of municipalities, unless moderately in those more vulnerable municipalities (IVSA+V moderate). By reviewing the scientific literature of the last 15 years, works that relate green areas with other social and health indicators are still scarce in Brazil, so the present study had a heuristic value due to the potential to generate new investigations by improving, reinforcing or refuting the present approach.