Extreme events, such as flash flood, have increased globally, causing significant damage. In Brazil, this concern is worsened by climate change, with phenomena such as La Niña in 2022 and El Niño until 2024. José Pereira river, in Itajubá/MG, crosses the urban area and is susceptible to flooding. This study aims to establish precipitation thresholds that trigger floods in the José Pereira river basin. To this end, the basin was characterized, considering climate data, flood history, topography, soil, land use and subdivision into sub-basins. Subsequently, parameters such as curve coefficient (CN), concentration time and lag time were calculated. It was then possible to select two flood events in the rainy season of 2022 and 2023 to calibrate the HEC-HMS model, using level and precipitation data from stations available in the basin. Furthermore, parameter calibration sought an acceptable fit between observed and simulated data. Based on this, events were chosen for simulation based on a minimum daily accumulation, selected from the historical series records from 2013 to 2023 from the UNIFEI-CEPREMG rainfall station. To define this minimum value, maximum rainfall analysis and return time calculations were carried out, indicating a value of 40 mm in 24 hours. These events demonstrated concentrated and distributed rainfall, highlighting the influence of upstream basins on the variation in river levels during flood events. Detailed analysis revealed that significant precipitation occurs between the first 25% and 50% of the total duration of rainfall triggering overflow or flooding. From the simulations, the minimum accumulated rainfall necessary to exceed 1.5m in river was identified. Through simulations, the minimum volume of accumulated rain necessary to exceed the 1.5m mark in river was determined. Analysis of the resulting graph, together with the logarithmic curve derived from the minimum accumulation in each selected event, revealed that upon reaching 34.60mm of accumulated precipitation, regardless of the duration and distribution of the rain, it becomes essential to issue an alert.

The disorderly use of water resources leads them to depletion, resulting in the emergence of
environmental and social issues. Thus, a relevant aspect to be observed in water supply
systems are the losses that occur throughout the operating process of the system. However,
the largest water losses are in the distribution networks, which lead water to homes,
businesses and industries. This fact causes financial losses and mainly natural losses. The
concern that the theme brings is relevant to the use of measures that allow its reduction. For this, the use of computer simulations of networks is intended to study their behavior,
especially to identify areas prone to water loss. Thus, it was developed, in the present study,
methodology of operation of water distribution network, using two methods: genetic
algorithms and random search, aiming at the optimization of the system through the
optimization of network pressures and thus the reduction of losses. The parameters of the
theoretical study network were changed, such as: reservoir level, roughness, diameter,
demand, pumps and pressure reducing valves simultaneously, using the tools R and EPANET. The loss reduction found with the simulation using the Genetic Algorithm was 15.75%. In the random simulation, the loss reduction found was 9.79%. In addition, the values of pressures found in the optimal generation, presented by the genetic algorithm, were much better than that of the random, because the high pressures that the network presented before the simulation were below 50 m.c.a. Thus, the simulation of the study network on the use of the genetic algorithm method was much better, with optimized loss and pressure values.

Annually, storms that occur in the Southeast of Brazil generate several disturbances to society. The Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) generate material losses and human lives, through the production of flooding, falling trees, hail and lightning. The spatial distribution of lightning and the properties of these storms vary greatly within this region. However, there is still a lack in the literature on the behavior of intracloud lightning and its relationship with the properties of storms. Thus, the present work aims to characterize the occurrences of lightning between 2015 and 2021 and to evaluate the physical and electrical differences in the MCS with and without lightning between 2015 and 2017 in the Southeast region of Brazil. For this, information from the meteorological satellite Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-13) was used, with lightning information from the Earth Network's Total Lightning Network (ENTLN). The identification and tracking of MCS was carried out using the algorithm Forecast and Tracking the Evolution of Cloud Clusters (ForTraCC). The first stage of the work consisted in evaluating the space-time distribution of lightning. Maximum of lightning occur near the mountainous regions of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro (IC: 80 occurrences year-1 km-2 and -CG: 18 year-1 km-2), concentrated from the period of afternoon (12:00 local time), with a maximum at 16:00 local time (47,000, 2,300 and 73 occurrences of IC, -CG and +CG), and mainly in the spring and summer (maximum values of 4011, 1025 and 35 flashes IC, -CG and +CG). The current peak shows maximums in spring and autumn (~40 kA for the +CG) and a lower amount in the winter period (~20 kA for the -CG). In the second stage, the physical and electrical differences between the MCS with and without lightning were evaluated. The main physical and electrical differences between these groups show that the MCS without lightning has a smaller area (difference of 1920 km2), duration (between 30 and 60 min), expansion rate (40 x 10-6 s-1) and higher temperatures (11.5 K difference) than MCS with lightning. The life cycle behavior of lightning shows higher occurrences moments before maturation (maximum of IC: 116, -CG: 21 and +CG: 0.75 occurrences 30 min-1). These analyses are important to improve the predictability of these storms and consequently the decision-making, providing the minimization of damages linked to the harmful effects of these storms.

Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) is responsible for several physical, chemical and biological
processes, both on the surface and in the Earth's atmosphere. In humans, UVR can cause
benefits, such as vitamin D synthesis, and harm, such as burns, premature aging and skin cancer.
In general, instruments and radiative transfer models are used to measure or estimate the
incidence of UVR, but they take into account that the radiation is reaching a horizontal surface.
For this reason, they do not reliably represent the accumulated dose of UVR in different parts
of the human body, called erythemic dose (D-UVE). After all, the parts of our body are inclined
in relation to the Sun, making it necessary to represent the incident UVR through a threedimensional geometric model (MGe). Therefore, this study has the general objective of
analyzing the variation in the incidence of UVR in different parts of the body considering
different geographic and atmospheric characteristics, the time of exposure and the individual's
position in relation to the Sun. For this, an experiment was installed, under a completely
randomized experimental design, aiming to evaluate the D-UVE incident on the different parts
of the body of a mannequin. The results indicated a significant interaction (p ≤ 0.05) between
the D-UVE, the orientation on the dummy and the positions of the sensors on the human body.
Even in the winter months, when the availability of solar radiation is lower, D-UVE can be
enough to cause erythema even in less sensitive skin, regardless of the individual's orientation.
In parallel, a MGe, developed in Python, was adapted to estimate the UVR on inclined surfaces,
taking into account input conditions adapted to geographic and temporal variations of any
location on the planet. In the first hours of the day, the D-UVE was more intense in the east
orientation, in which the Sun is rising and positioning itself in relation to the horizon.
Considering an hour of exposure around noon, the values observed with the face facing south
are significantly higher than those observed in relation to the north, considering the position of
the Sun at this time. Also, radiation fluxes on inclined surfaces at the angle of inclination of the
surface relative to the horizontal plane at β = 30° are higher than on vertical surfaces, since, at
β = 90°, the direct component tends to zero, therefore, prevailing only the diffuse component.
As for the full-day exposure, it was observed that, even in winter, there are risks of damage to
health for individuals of all phototypes. From this research, it will be possible to simulate DUVE values on inclined surfaces for locations anywhere on the planet, with emphasis on South
Hemisphere, which had not yet been the subject of research in works under these conditions.
For future works, it is suggested to improve the entire methodology of the Adapted Geometric
Model (MGeA), in order to analyze and compile the semi-empirical equations and specific
treatments, to avoid generalist results.

Extratropical cyclones are one of the atmospheric systems that most cause weather changes in the regions where they operate. In some situations, these systems have a deepening rate of ~24 hPa/24 h, which gives them the name of explosive cyclones. An important source of energy influencing the development of extratropical cyclones is surface sensible and latent heat fluxes (FCSL), especially over the oceans. Between late June and early July 2020, an explosive cyclone occurred off the southern coast of Brazil. As little is known about the physical development processes of explosive extratropical cyclones in the South Atlantic, the aim of this work is to verify whether turbulent heat flows from the ocean to the atmosphere contributed to deepen the system (pressure drop >= 24 hPa /24 h) and describe the drivers of cyclogenesis; to investigate the contribution of the sea-air nteraction, through numerical simulations with the Weather Research and Forecast Model (WRF), and to present the physical properties of the clouds associated with the squall line, which aused a lot of environmental and material damages and, even, the death of at least 12 people in the State of Santa Catarina (SC). Cyclogenesis started at 1200 UTC on June 30, 2020
at the southern border of Brazil and Uruguay, with a valley at mid-upper levels as forcing,
which is a common parameter of cyclogenesis in the studied region. ERA5 reanalysis data were used to describe the configuration of the cyclone and associated systems. The description of the impacts in the State of SC was carried out through the review of news published by the media and data provided by the civil defense of the State. To verify the role of turbulent heat fluxes, a comparison between numerical experiments with turbulent fluxes of sensible and latent heat on and off in the WRF model was used. It was observed through the experiments that the sea-air interaction (turbulent heat flows) contributed to the deepening of the cyclone, leading it to an explosive state, because when the flows were turned off, the cyclone lost its status as a bomb. The cyclone directly influenced the formation of a cold front, which in turn led to the development of a prefrontal squall line, responsible for the adverse conditions in the state of Santa Catarina. While the satellite images did not show the squall line located ahead of the cold front in the cyclone wave due to its resolution, the radar reflectivity data clearly represented the
propagation of the squall line over southern Brazil.

The Environmental Licensing and the Environmental Impact Assessment are instruments of environmental policy that complement each other, and are useful for controlling the development of enterprises or activities that may cause an impact on the environment. Mining activities have an economic importance, but, on the other hand, they cause a significant impact on the environment, as well as on the surrounding community. The dams, which are used for the final disposal of tailings, are the focus of concern and risk, as they can cause irreversible damage if they break, taking as an example the cases that occurred in the state of Minas Gerais, in the years 2015 and 2019, with the ruptures of the dams in Mariana and Brumadinho, respectively. In order for these disasters to be avoided or to have less impact on society, it is important that during the Licensing and Environmental Impact Assessment decision process, the Risk Assessment (RA) is applied to the project to be installed. The associated risk must be an important factor for the analysis of the environmental viability of the activity. Thus, the objective of the present work is to analyze whether the normative changes brought in 2016 brought about changes in the incorporation of risk assessment in the EIA of mining dams in the state of Minas Gerais. For this purpose, Environmental Licensing processes were selected, supported by an Environmental Impact Study of mining dams. The identification of processes occurred through research on the websites of: Consultation of Environmental Licensing Process Decisions, Consultation and Request for Public Hearing and the Integrated Environmental Information System of the state of Minas Gerais. Thus, 25 Licensing processes were analyzed, between 2004 and 2022, which were available: the Environmental Impact Study and the Single or Technical Opinions, being analyzed as to how the risks were treated in the study and in the decision-making for the issuance of the prior license. An analysis of the perspective of before and after the implementation of State Law nº 21.972/2016 was also considered, which brings the requirement of Emergency Action Plans, Contingency and Risk Communication for the Environmental Licensing of undertakings or activities that may put in serious risk human lives or the environment. In the documents, a general search was carried out using keywords that referred to the theme of risk and the possible studies developed. Of the processes, 20 correspond to before the enactment of the law and five are post-enactment of the law. In the processes analyzed, two presented the Risk Analysis, four presented the PAE, three presented the Contingency Plan and no process presented the Risk Communication Plan. The results allow us to infer that the edition of State Law nº 21.972/2016 did not bring significant changes to the consideration of risk, since RA and plans were found in greater quantity for processes prior to the edition of the law. In general, it can be concluded that the risks of mining dams in Minas Gerais are accepted, without any assessment and regardless of their classification level, leaving only the option of being managed later.

Obtaining H2 from processes with low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has been of great interest in order to reduce environmental impacts. The use of biogas to replace fossil sources such as natural gas has been a promising alternative for the clean production of hydrogen (H2), which can be used in the energy and industrial sectors. The aim of this study was to assess the economic viability of using the H2 generated by biogas for 28 landfill consortia in the state of Minas Gerais. Two processes were analyzed: steam methane reforming (VSR) and pyrolysis reforming through an economic analysis using the net present value (NPV), levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) and internal rate of return (IRR) methods. The biogas production potential of the ASs was estimated, as well as their respective hydrogen potential. Installation (CAPEX) and operation and maintenance (OPEX) costs were estimated for the biogas purification and H2 production processes. The selling price of H2 as a fuel was estimated for each consortium. The capacity to obtain ammonia from H2 was determined, as well as the levelized cost of ammonia (LCOA). The installed capacity of the consortia analyzed ranged from 12,738.08 to 1,716,651.77 kg H2/year. The LCOH ranged from 9.44 R$/kg to 1,255.83 R$/kg. Comparing the three scenarios, the RMV without CO2 capture is the one that obtained the best economic results, however, this scenario had the greatest potential for CO2 emissions. The novelty of this study involves using biogas to obtain H2, and comparing RMV with pyrolysis. CIDES was the consortium that obtained the best economic results. Processes for reforming CH4 into H2 with zero CO2 emissions were the ones that obtained the highest LCOH values, which makes it uncompetitive with fossil sources and could make the project unviable. There is a need for public policies to encourage the production and use of H2 from biogas.

Work occupies a significant part of the population's daily life, therefore being an important factor in defining the quality of life and health of individuals. In parallel, every individual is subject to weather and climate variations, and this interaction also influences these issues and has important associations with collective health. The phenomenon known as presenteeism-illness (P-D), where a person goes to work while being or feeling sick, has been gaining attention in research since the 1990s. Studies on P-D aim to understand how going to work while being unwell can affect productivity in the company and even worsen the worker's clinical condition. Such outcomes, both in physiology and mental health, may be related to mood changes, affecting the disposition to perform daily tasks. These conditions can be more severe in individuals who are more sensitive to meteorological variations, known as weather-sensitive individuals, or among those who develop pathologies when there is an abrupt change in weather, known as meteoropathies (MTP). This research was conducted in an exploratory manner, with 520 university professors from 19 states and the federal district, with the objective of analyzing the association between meteorological variations and presenteeism in teaching activities. The relationship between the incidence of presenteeism, climate sensitivity, and the participants' sociodemographic profile was also examined, as well as the the association between the level of meteorosensitivity (MTS) and the occurrence of P-D. To achieve the objectives, a questionnaire was used to gather sociodemographic data, health and lifestyle information, and the Stanford Presentism Scale and Meteo-Questionnaire instruments. 460 participants (88.5%) reported having gone to work while ill in the past 12 months, and among them, 292 (56.1%) had a score below 18 on the SPS-6, which is considered low labor quality due to health issues. The overall questionnaire score was 13.3 (SD = 5.5), Avoided Distraction 6.7 (SD = 3.6), and Completed Work 9.3 (SD = 3.8). In general, the sample shows a decrease in performance in their work activities due to health problems. The most prevalent health problems related to presenteeism in the sample were: allergies, musculoskeletal pain, and excessive stress. There were 151 individuals (f = 29%) with high weather sensitivity, and 85 (f = 16.3%) showed indications of meteoropathies. For males, the average score for questions about weather sensitivity was
7
4.5 (SD = 3.3) and the average score for meteoropathies was 4.4 (SD = 3.5). For females, the average score for weather sensitivity was 6.2 (SD = 3.4), and the average score for indications of meteoropathies was 6.4 (SD = 3.1). The most common symptoms related to meteorological variations include: excessive appetite, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, headaches, excessive drowsiness, irritability, nervousness, and general aches and pains. To analyze the association between meteorological variations and presenteeism, the technique of unconditional multiple logistic regression was employed. The first, more adjusted multiple model for the variable of P-D occurrence contains the following explanatory variables: Weather sensitivity (OR = 1.27), Absenteeism (OR = 3.59), physical activity (OR = 0.44) and being employed in a private institution (OR = 0.52). The second, more adjusted multiple model contains the explanatory variables: Weather sensitivity (OR = 1.25), Absenteeism (OR = 3.23), Gender (OR = 1.88), physical activity (OR = 0.44). The results indicate how sensitivity to meteorological variations can affect the population's health, showing that increased levels of MTS are associated with an increase in P-D.

The scarcity of natural resources, especially water and energy, put the population at risk of water supply. Therefore, they become necessary procedures to guarantee the optimal operation of a water distribution network. The use of optimization techniques such as genetic algorithms guarantees the optimal operation of the network, however, just finding the optimal points is not enough, since demand oscillations affect fluctuations in those presented, also presenting a learning capacity that guarantees the adaptability of the network. distribution of water according to demand, meeting the concept of smart cities. Thus, to give the water distribution network this learning capability, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) of the “perceptron” type of a hidden layer were used, one of which is simple to act only at a demand point, predicting the values of the operational parameters (RNF, valves and pumps), as a proof of concept and then a more advanced ANN was developed, with seven hidden classes, in order to predict the operational specifications for the last 72 hours. The Water Distribution Networks used were two theoretical networks with 13 nodes, 2 Fixed Level Reservoirs (RNF), 2 pumps and 3 valves, varying only the mesh position. For both distribution networks, the predictions reached a good result in most points based on Norma NBR 12218/2017. As a conclusion, Artificial Neural Networks are proven to have a good capacity to predict operation when applied to water distribution networks due to their inherent complexity, having the potential for better results with future adjustments.

Ozone, aerosols, and clouds influence the ultraviolet radiation (UVR) that reaches the earth’s surface. This study aims to evaluate UVR throughout the 21st century considering the total ozone content (TOC), the total cloud cover (TCC), and the aerosol optical depth at 550 nm (AOD550). For that, I first evaluated current climate (1980 - 2014) simulations provided by six Earth System Models (ESMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) by contrasting them with the fifth generation of European Reanalysis (ERA5) and the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2). For future projections, the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs; SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) and four time-slices throughout the century (2021 - 2040, 2041 - 2060, 2061 - 2080 and 2081 - 2100) were considered. I used the UVBoost estimator to calculate UV irradiance. Then, the Ultraviolet Index (UVI) at solar noon, daily doses, and exposure times for erythema (Dery and tery) and vitamin D synthesis (DvitD and tvitD) for phototype III were computed. The cloud attenuation factor (f_C) was used to analyze the cloud cover impact on UVR projections. As expected, the multi-model mean ensemble from six ESMs showed smaller biases and root-mean-square errors (RMSE) which indicated that the simulations are close to the reanalysis data. For TOC, pronounced increases were projected at mid and high latitudes, towards the end of the century, and under higher radiative forcing scenarios (SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5). Over Antarctica, increases of up to 30.0% projected for 2081 - 2100 indicate ozone recovery. On the other hand, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions impact the signal of change in the tropical region, with decreases (up to 4.0%) under SSP1-2.6 and increases (up to 7.0%) under SSP3-7.0. Regarding TCC, increases over the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean in all SSPs, with maximum values ~27.0% (in the long-term; 2081 - 2100), are related to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). By contrast, the TCC decline in North Africa (up to 21.0%) and South America (up to 16.0%) are consistent with the intensification of subtropical anticyclones. For AOD550, increases of up to 28.0% (SSP3-7.0) and 99.0% (SSP5-8.5) were projected in India, Central, and East Africa at the end of the century (2081 - 2100). On the other hand, decreases in North America, Europe, and China over the century may be due to the air quality policies and pollutant emissions control, mainly under SSP1-2.6. In December, UVI, Dery, and DvitD projected changes were pronounced at mid and high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (SH), towards the end of the century and under higher radiative forcing scenarios (SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5). In South America, Australia, and southern Africa, 10 to 20 minutes of exposure at solar noon can induce erythema in phototype III. In contrast, there is no UVR sufficient for vitamin D synthesis at solar noon throughout the century in the United States, Canada, Russia, and Europe. In June, despite the discrepancy in the sign of the projected change between the SSPs, the UVI and Dery were high (UVI ≥ 11; Dery ~ 6.0 kJ m-2) in areas with high population density such as China, India, the Middle East, and the United States. On the other hand, there is no vitamin D synthesis over the century for the scenarios in southern Argentina, southern Chile, and Antarctica. Cloud cover impacts UVI and DvitD more strongly. However, spatial patterns throughout the century have not changed. TCC attenuation can reduce up to 3.5 UVI under scenarios SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5 in South America and part of Central America but still indicate high levels (UVI between 8 and 10). Furthermore, in December and under SSP1-2.6, there were projected attenuations between 1.5 and 1.8 kJ m-2 for Dery and between 2.5 and 3.0 kJ m-2 for DvitD. The results showed that climate change can significantly impact UVR throughout the 21st century and affect human health.

Energy generation is an important factor in economic development, combating poverty and ensuring a good quality of life for the population of a nation, which is a major challenge for less developed countries such as the Republic of Benin, country located in West Africa. Thus, the installation of hydroelectric plants, photovoltaic solar plants and biomass plants could help mitigate the energy crises that the country faces and reduce its dependence on energy imports. In this context, the objective of this work is to propose and evaluate different energy planning scenarios in Benin, with a view to inserting renewable energy sources (RES), improving the current living conditions of the population, and minimizing energy imports. To achieve this objective, data analysis and an assessment of the energy potential of each renewable source (solar, wind, biomass and hydroelectric) available were carried out. Finally, three different scenarios were created (reference, moderate and optimistic) with the objective of reducing the energy deficit in the long-term using the LEAP (Low Emissions Analysis Platform) program for the period from 2020 to 2050. The results of this study showed that for the “REF” reference scenario, final energy demand is expected to grow by around 1.5% until 2050. Electricity production should, for the most part, be carried out by thermal energy sources and CO2 emissions should increase by 0.5%. to 1.1 million metric tons of CO2eq in the residential sector. Regarding the optimistic “OPT” scenario, final energy demand will increase by around 3.8% compared to the base year value (2020). The share of RES is expected to increase to around 78% of the total installed generation capacity in 2050 and will reduce electricity imports to zero, which were 13.2 PJ and 7.1 PJ, respectively, in the REF and MOD scenarios, representing 81.5% and 20.5% of national electricity demand. These results allowed discussions on alternatives for Benin's energy sectors and encourage the application of energy efficiency measures in each sector of activity to reduce energy consumption in addition to mitigating the effects of GHG emissions. In short, effective energy policy measures are needed to support a sustainable energy transition in Benin.

In view of the indisputable demand for water resources, in terms of quality and quantity increasingly increasing in urban centers, water supply systems, especially such as water networks, play an important role in terms of urban infrastructure. Predicting the behavior of hydraulic structures using modeling and simulation is important for managers of different types, both public and private. Over the years, constant physical and operational changes occur in networks, such as changes in the physical roughness of pipelines, requiring dynamic adjustments as well as mathematical models to predict their hydraulic behavior in order to modify and improve their parameters. Inverse calibration of the water distribution network is the process of adjusting non-measurable parameters based on parameter measurements such as pressure and flow. There are methodologies for this source, however there is no knowledge of calibration research using the EPANET software coupled to the R, exploring the hydraulic evaluation resources of the first and a data analysis of the second. Thus, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the original potential of using these two tools for a calibration adjustment. To achieve this objective, the methodology was to apply this coupling in a theoretical network developed for the study. The results proved to be good, having a good fit between the reference values considered measured and those generated by the simulation. It is concluded that there is potential to use this tool for new studies and, in the future, for applications in real water supply networks.

In Brazil, the number of rainfall stations on the surface is still low and is not enough to represent the spatio-temporal variability of rainfall throughout the territory. Therefore, a good option to overcome this lack of data is the use of satellite precipitation estimates. Therefore, this study aimed to validate, through statistical methods, the daily precipitation estimated by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite for the Sapucaí River Basin, using four methodologies: point by pixel - original data, without going through no processing; pixel to point – debiased satellite data; pixel by pixel – interpolated station data; average in the area – average in the sub-areas of Alto, Medio and Baixo Sapucaí. The data used in the validation came from rainfall stations of the National Agency for Water and Basic Sanitation (ANA). The results found for the point-to-pixel methodology for the complete series, summer and winter, indicated the existence of a moderate average correlation, with errors varying from magnitude of 3 to 10 mm day-1 and with an average tendency to overestimate the GPM in in relation to ANA data. The same occurred for the pixel-to-point method, where the results were very similar, in addition, a correction in the precipitation frequency was observed through this methodology. The pixel-by-pixel method presented higher statistical results, compared to the previous ones, and even increased the surface data coverage. However, the averaging methodology in the area was the one that obtained the best results: high correlation, coefficient of determination above 60% and lower magnitude of errors. Overall, in both cases the GPM showed an average tendency to overestimate the ANA data, but it proved to be viable for use in studies, mainly as a way to meet the need for data in places without records.

Commonly, at the top of the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL), in its nocturnal/stable phase, the formation of a maximum in the vertical wind profile known as Low Level Jet (LLJ) occurs. These events are observed in various parts of the world and have a great influence on activities that depend on weather and climate, such as air transport. Several studies have been carried out to evaluate the mechanisms capable of inducing the formation of LLJs. Among these mechanisms are inertial oscillation, baroclinicity induced by sloping terrain and the presence of synoptic systems. In this study, the occurrence of LLJs in the Furnas reservoir region, located in Minas Gerais, MG, is investigated. In addition, an evaluation of the synoptic conditions on the days of occurrence of the LLJs is made, as well as the response of the surface flow. For that, 10 years of data from the ERA5 reanalysis were used along with data measured in situ during a field campaign and one year of data from an anemometric tower installed on the banks of the Furnas reservoir. The LLJs detection criteria were based on a case study that had already been analyzed in previous studies. LLJs occur mostly in spring, mainly in the months of September and October, between late evening (21 LT) and early morning (8 LT). As for the synoptic characteristics, the LLJs occur predominantly in clear or partially cloudy sky scenarios where there is a ridge penetration (high pressure) over the Southeast or the western edge of the South Atlantic Subtropical High (SASH). The ERA5 data showed a good ability to represent the wind speed, making it possible to identify profiles of LLJs in the period under study. Two numerical simulations were performed with the WRF model, the first with the original topography (control simulation) and the other with the modified topography, removing the sloping relief around the reservoir. With the simulations it was possible to infer about the influence of the sloping relief on the occurrence of LLJs. After analyzing the observational and model data, it is considered the possibility that the LLJs in the Furnas reservoir region are modulated mainly by baroclinicity induced by synoptic systems with potential influence of sloping topography. The decoupling of the top of the PBL with the levels closer to the surface in the day/night transition cannot be neglected, as it provides support for the flow acceleration due to the temperature gradient. The presence of the sloping topography causes a thermal gradient due to differential cooling/heating between valley/mountain, in this case, the available potential energy can contribute to complement the formation of the JBN due to baroclinicity in synoptic scale.

In recent years, extreme weather events have occurred with greater frequency, intensity and duration, and are projected to increase in future climate. In Brazil, for the period from 1991 to 2012, the natural disaster that affected the largest number of people are droughts. The São Francisco Hydrographic Basin (BHSF) and the Paraná Hydrographic Region (RHP) are among the main hydrographic basins in Brazil, standing out for the generation of energy and consumption, among other ecosystem services. Therefore, as droughts can trigger both economic and social problems, it is important to identify hydrological drought events in these basins and what anomalous weather patterns are associated with these events. Daily precipitation data from the Gauge-Based Analysis of Global Daily Precipitation (CPC) was used to calculate the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) at 1, 6 and 12 month scales in order to identify drought events in BHSF and RHP; this index uses historical rainfall series to quantify rainfall deficits, in which negative values are associated with dry episodes. The 1-month scale reflects short-term conditions and can be associated with meteorological droughts, the 6-month scale SPI can be used to show the dynamics of rainfall over different seasons and, in some cases, droughts on this scale can be associated with anomalies in river flows and reservoir levels, as seen in the 12-month scale, in which long-term rainfall patterns have been represented. The 12-month scale was used to identify hydrological drought episodes along the BHSF and RHP between 1979 and 2021. For these episodes, severity, duration, intensity and peak were obtained, and the SPI-1 and SPI-6 were obtained. analyzed during the longest and most severe drought (identified via SPI-12) to identify periods with anomalously dry conditions in the wet season. Anomalous atmospheric and oceanic patterns associated with this episode were also analyzed using data from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5 Reanalysis. The results revealed that the longest and most severe episode of hydrological drought on the BHSF occurred between 2012 and 2020, while in the RHP of Paraná the event has developed since 2016, still without end until the end of the analyzed period. At BHSF, the anomalous dry conditions observed during the rainy season of this episode were associated with an anomalous high-pressure system acting close to the coast of Southeast Brazil, hindering the formation of precipitating systems. Different large-scale patterns acted during the drought conditions in the RHP in the analyzed periods (2016/2017, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021), but with a common weakening of the low-level jets, making it impossible to transport moisture to the basin. Despite the drought being studied in a regionalized way in the country, the results found in the present study indicate recent drought events affecting several regions of Brazil simultaneously.

The Paraiba do Sul River Basin (PSRB) is frequently affected by extreme rainfall events, especially by weather systems during its rainy season, leading to financial damage and losses of human lives. The Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) is a tool capable of supporting the forecast of natural disasters. However, its limitations and capabilities require understanding and addressing. In those terms, this work aims to investigate the sensitivity of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model on forecasting an extreme rainfall event that affected the Basin in January 2016, causing financial and human losses. Eight high resolution (3-km of maximum horizontal grid spacing) numerical simulations were performed by combining four cloud microphysics (CMP) and two cumulus convection schemes (CC). The simulations were compared against observed rainfall data (weather gauges), satellite-based precipitation estimates, and weather radar data. Results showed that WRF was able to represent the large-scale processes (South Atlantic Convergence Zone), with secondary errors caused by the positioning and intensity of the horizontal moisture convergence fields. Statistically, the simulations captured the correlations between forecasted and observed rain at the gauges, with values above 0.9. However, WRF showed strong dispersion between the experiments (above 50%), with strong tendency of underestimation of accumulated precipitation (by up to 80% at some sites). The vertical fields of radar reflectivity showed satisfactory results, but WRF tended to overestimate cloud depths by up to 2 km. Also, the simulations showed the early suppression of convective activity after the first two days of integration, leading to low rainfall amounts. However, WRF was able to simulate convectively active environments. On the vertical distribution of hydrometeors, the role of CC was indifferent in comparison with the sensitivity from the hydrometeor classes to CMP choices. The sophistication of CMP schemes was crucial to the horizontal and vertical fields. The prognostic of hail in CMP Milbrandt 2-moment and the consideration of advanced warm-rain processes in WDM6 contributed to a more adherent representation of cloud processes below the melting layer, as well as ice particles higher up in the atmosphere. Such representations impact hydrometeors distributions as well as further processes regarding up-/down-drafts. Overall, complexities associated with orography and land-use at the Basin watershed suggest the application of higher horizontal resolution runs to overcome errors from interactions between convection and terrain. This work is a contribution to the development of operational weather forecasts to the PSRB to mitigate natural disasters associated with extreme precipitation.

While in the South Atlantic Ocean (OAS) there are records of several occurrences of subtropical cyclones, in the Southeast Pacific Ocean (OPS) there is only news in the media since 2015. In order to promote the understanding of the physical processes associated with subtropical cyclones, in this study, expenses are two cyclones: one with pure subtropical genesis, which was Cyclone Guará which occurred in December 2017 at OAS, and another with subtropical transition, which was Cyclone Lexi, which occurred in May 2018 at OPS. In addition, the study aims to define the climatological characteristics in the region of the oceans adjacent to South America in order to indicate the regions favorable to these events. To this end, data from the 1989 to 2019 period of the ERA5 reanalysis are used, which is considered state-of-the-art in terms of reanalysis. One of the main results obtained in the climatological analysis on the Genesis Potential Index (IPG). Although this index indicates regions favorable to tropical cyclogenesis, it also serves as an indicator of favorable conditions for subtropical cyclones, since there are many similarities between these two types of systems. There is potential for the genesis of tropical/subtropical systems in OAS along the Brazilian coast from October to March, however, the signal is most intense between February and March. In the OPS, some factors, in isolation, showed a propensity to cyclogenesis of cyclones with a warm core. However, the IPG's climatology shows little or no favoring the formation of tropical cyclones and CS. In relation to the two cyclones studied, a subtropical transition from Lexi was influenced by the interaction with a cutoff low, which favored an environment with weak vertical wind shear, as it was coupled with the extratropical cyclone on the surface. The subtropical cyclone Guará was formed associated with both dynamic processes, such as horizontal wind shear with cyclonic signal and weak vertical wind shear, and thermodynamic processes, with an impact of turbulent heat fluxes at the sea-air interface. The use of heat balance and vorticity equations contributed to confirm the results.

Science fiction has been one of the most popular genres in literature since its emergence in the 19th century. The genre sought to look at the future, imagining new technological advances, that then seemed unlimited, which brought it closer to the literature of utopia and dystopia. After the end of World War II and the explosion of the atomic bomb, optimism in a world guided by science diminishes considerably and dystopias considered the very end of civilization through the apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic subgenres. The nuclear cataclysm remained popular in fictional works throughout the century, but in 1970s, a new threat proved to be just as dangerous for human civilization: the environmental crises. The prognosis of a collapse created a dystopian imagery as powerful as that of a nuclear war. It was also a threat to the capitalist mode of production since external limits to economic growth are established. If the atomic bomb showed the destructive potential of war technology, environmental crises call into question the same technological artifacts that allowed the optimism in the 19th century. This dissertation asks how works of dystopian fiction characterize environmental crises over the last century. Therefore, climatic dystopias are the object of study, defined as: fictional works located in the near or distant future that describe a worse society, according to the author, than that of the moment and place in which it was written and that deal with ecological or environmental issues such as the focus, or one of the focuses, of the dysfunctionality of their world. Its objective is to investigate the different critical perceptions regarding technology in climatic dystopias. To do so, it proposes to examine the history of the belief in anthropogenic climate change, to compare the dystopian character of science fiction works throughout the 20th century and to identify in these specific criticisms the technology, taking into account its historical and artistic context. In the results, it is observed that: the opposition between civilization and nature is a recurring theme in the works studied, when reflecting on alternative modes of existence outside modern industrial society; The works proved to be useful for the study of the history of environmental crises, by revealing characteristics of key moments of awareness regarding these; And, finally, there is no linearity in their criticism of technological progress, but they all manifest positions contrary to the capitalist way of life.

The projected changes in the South America Monsoon System (SAMS) related to the (1)
expansion area; (2) terms of surface water and energy balances and (3) pressure at mean sea level (PMSL) patterns are shown for the end of the century (2080-2099), under Representative Pathway Scenario 8.5 (RCP8.5). For this reason, a set of Global Climate Models (GCMs) and projections of the Regional Climate Model version 4 (RegCM4) nested to these GCMs were analyzed. The analysis of balance terms are concentrated in four subdomains: Northern Amazon (NAMZ), Southern Amazon (SAMZ), La Plata Basin (LPB) and Southern Southeast Brazil (SSB). For the analysis, ensembles from the projections of the GCMs and RegCM4 were used. Both ensembles indicate a decrease in the monsoon area in the south of the Amazon and an expansion towards the Atlantic Ocean in the period 2080-2099 compared with 1995-2014. The trends in the water and energy balances, considering the wet period of the SAMS (November to March), show different signs in each subdomain. While in NAMZ and SAMZ, ensembles project dry conditions (i.e., decrease in the amount of precipitation, soil moisture and runoff), in LPB and SSB they project more wet conditions at the end of the century. In the four subdomains, an increase in air temperature is projected. The warmer conditions in the subdomains of the Amazon (NAMZ and SAMZ) are associated with changes in the energy balance terms (increased net radiation and sensitive heat flux on the surface and decreased latent heat flux on the surface), while in LPB and SSB are not directly associated with changes in the energy balance. The analysis of the pattern of PMSL was carried out using the principal component analysis technique. The results of this stage of the study indicate that for the future climate a change in the frequency of the patterns found in the present climate is projected. However, no significant changes in the acting of atmospheric systems are projected in the CPs of the future climate.

National Parks are Conservation Units (UCs) that can be the scene of socioenvironmental conflicts due to their restrictions on access and use of natural
resources and the lack of social participation in their management. The Serra da
Bocaina National Park, on the border between the states of São Paulo and Rio de
Janeiro, was created in 1971 and has, over the years, experienced conflicts that
can harm its management and prevent its conservationist objectives from being
achieved, with highlight to the Vila de Trindade, in Paraty-RJ. Thus, the general
objective of this work is to analyze the appropriation of participatory methodologies
by the managers of the Serra da Bocaina National Park, aiming to minimize socioenvironmental conflicts in Vila de Trindade. To this end, questionnaires were
applied to assess the environmental perception and experience of conflict of the
local population, applying hypothesis tests to determine the socioeconomic
characteristics that influence the experience of conflict in the region, in addition to
semi-structured interviews to identify perceptions and expectations of park
managers and the local community about participatory methodologies applied at
the study site. These data were finally analyzed using the SWOT Matrix. As results
obtained, the average environmental perception found for the population of Vila de
Trindade stands out, in contrast to a great lack of knowledge about the definition of
UCs and their locations. In addition, it was found that, at the study site, populations
over 45 years old and who have lived there for more than 20 years experience,
statistically, more socio-environmental conflicts with the Park. Finally, it was
concluded that there is an agreement between the population and the Park on the
need for environmental conservation of the area, however, for the minimization of
local socio-environmental conflicts, the broader development of participatory
methodologies focused on the local reality is extremely necessary, with frequent
presence of managers in the Park area.

Due to the current economic situation in the countries and the growing need to
guarantee the sustainability of services. Supply companies are developing techniques
to optimize available resources. Among the several failures identified in water
distribution systems, the high level of water losses stands out. This problem has been
minimized by combining the sectorization of networks with pressure management. The
sectorization consists of its division into smaller sectors (Measurement and Control
Districts - DMC’s). In order to reduce the complexity present in the management of the
network, ensuring greater reliability and improving the useful life of the pipes and
devices of the system. In this way, this research aims to systematically gather all
scientific knowledge about the sectorization applied in water distribution networks.
Considering published academic articles and three databases of great relevance in the
scientific literature. The methodological approach of the present work was a systematic
review of the literature on the topic. A total of 37 papers were systematically identified
and reviewed, through which it was possible to identify the most relevant articles. The
main methodologies applied to the sectorization process are extracted, algorithms
adopted and the main benefits resulting from the application of the sectioning of the
network.

The developed research on water distribution networks are of great relevance, considering the social, environmental and economic impacts occurred due to the scarcity of hydric resources. Therefore, all the cientific efforts denoted on the researches that study the distribution water network are of great relevance. Techniques as mathematical modeling, computer simulation and statistic methods are widely used to obtain more reliable answers for the actual situation of the network and also for the prediction of scenarios, failure events, increased demand, etc. The main objective of this research is to carry out a bibliometric and systematic analysis that contemplates researches that use statistic models for the control and reduction of water volume losses in the distribution system, identifying which were the models applied, resulting the actual scenarios, which will be as guide for the futures works to be structured in the most relevant research’s that studies the theme. The developed methodology was able to analyze a metadata composed of 4150 documents from the base of Web of Science. As result was obtained a geographical view of the subject pointing out the major countries, affiliations, journals and researchers, as well as pointed out the main documents, the relevance of the theme and the statistical models applied. It is concluded that the most applied statistical models are regression, survival analysis, Monte Carlo technique and Poisson technique respectively. Eighteen other techniques were used, but in smaller quantities, which do not render them ineffective, water distribution networks are complex mechanisms and sometimes require different forms of approach that require other models of statistical analysis.

Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) are one of the legal tools for conservation
of the remaining native vegetation in the country, since, throughout the occupation process in Brazil, fauna and flora are under pressure from anthropic interventions. In this context, monitoring and preservation of these areas are essential for the maintenance of Brazilian biomes, mainly for the Atlantic Forest biome, which has been suffering increasing losses. In this study aims to evaluate the potential of object-based classification in the identification and mapping of anthropic interventions in APP in the south of Minas Gerais (MG). First
an exploratory analysis of the data on occurrences of anthropic interventions in APP in the South of Minas in the years 2011 to 2019 obtained with the Civil Police (PC) of MG. You
The results of this analysis pointed to a downward trend in the number of occurrences,
with the identification of greater annual increases in the number of occurrences for the municipalities Estiva and Pouso Alegre. The second step was the process of mapping interventions performed by using an object-oriented classification (GEOBIA) in the software
eCognition in images from the Sentinel-2 satellite, with the application of Data Mining concepts and Machine Learning. The study area chosen was the municipality with the highest rate of increase of occurrences of intervention in APP in the recent period of 2016-2019 and the chosen period was the month with the highest incidence of occurrences. As a result, a variation was obtained negative vegetation in June 2018 in the municipality of Pouso Alegre. Of this variation of arboreal vegetation, 0.74 km² were due to changes in land use of APP, distributed in 3043 points, 138 of them with areas larger than 1,000 m². The ratings obtained balanced performance (PRC-Precision and Recall under the curve and ROC-Received Operator Characteristic under the curve close to 1) and satisfactory (Kappa Index of 0.9072; Average F-Measure of 0.926; Average MMC of 0.908), with only one class (cultivation) with significant confusion in the error matrix. The results found were considered satisfactory and, in this way, it is expected that this work will serve as an aid in planning and management of Civil Police resources so that there is an effective inspection and fight against deforestation of the Atlantic Forest biome in southern Minas Gerais.

National Parks are Conservation Units (CUs) that have around them the delimitation of an area in order to contain the negative impacts to the core area, called buffer zones. These surrounding areas are subject to specific rules and restrictions, according to the National System of Conservation Units (SNUC), and it is in the CU Management Plan that the guidelines to be followed for the conservation processes to take place are found. Land use and management in the buffer zone needs to be defined in order to meet CUs objectives. In the Management Plan for the Itatiaia National Park (PNI) there is no standard, guideline or restriction that addresses alternative forms of soil management, such as agroecological systems. A special case occurs in the city of Itamonte/MG, where 80% of its territory is within CUs, including the PNI and its buffer zone which is within the limits of other UCs and requires preferential land use policies agroecological based systems. Thus, the general objective of this work is to analyze the contribution of agroecological production systems in achieving the objectives of the Itatiaia National Park in terms of its buffer zone. To this end, geoprocessing techniques were applied to map the area of the buffer zone and core area of the park where they have agroecological production systems, and questionnaires to understand the perception of farmers about the existence of the park, the buffer zone and agroecological systems of production that develop on their properties. The data were finally analyzed using the SWOT Matrix. As a result, the importance of agroecological production systems in minimizing the negative impacts on the limits of the PA, the connectivity of the systems with the forests adjacent to the park's forests and the socioeconomic purpose that the systems enable is highlighted. It is concluded that it is essential to establish collective actions, integrating the Serra da Mantiqueira Mosaic and the surrounding community, in order to diagnose, plan and implement sustainable agroecological systems in the buffer zone.

This work aims to study and analyze the actions necessary to UNIFEI (Federal University of Itajubá) to comply with the Laws, Draft Laws and Resolutions regarding distributed generation through the use of renewable energy sources; what practices can be implemented and, for the current reality of the university, what would be the most viable and economical sources of energy. In this sense, the work: analyze which points could be fulfilled by UNIFEI - from the point of view of sustainability plans to meet its demand; investigate, for the reality of the university, the most suitable sources and conversion systems; carry out a survey of the generation systems now available at Itajubá Campus. Through a quantitative survey, real data on the generation and consumption of electricity from UNIFEI will be analyzed. It will be verified which types of renewable energies are already implemented at UNIFEI (Itajubá Campus), which could be installed, as well as the estimated costs (R$) of the investment, savings and financial return. 

The ultraviolet radiation (UVR) influences life on Earth and its monitoring is relevant and necessary for studies on different areas of knowledge. UVR modelling by radiative transfer models (RTM) is always an alternative for lack of surface and/or remote measurements. However, RTM estimates may present significant errors related to the UVR attenuation processes in the atmosphere. Cloud cover (CC) effects represent one of the most important source of RTM errors. In general, sky images are taken by all-sky cameras as a tool for automating cloud quantification, but these instruments are still an expensive option for poorer countries. Thus, we develop a low-cost and affordable technique for determining CC using photography. 230 sky images were collected using a smartphone (Samsung Galaxy A5) and photographic camera (Sony Cyber-Shot – DSH-H7) simultaneously. This high-quality set of sky photos covers different types and amounts. A set of algorithms processed the images, classifying and counting the pixels of the clouds. 13 thresholds were tested, among the ones found in the literature (0,12, 0,65, and 0,90.), to classify the pixels of the clouds. For validation, the photographs were visually assessed by an observer, and statistically, by the methods of analysis of linear regression and coefficient of determination (R²). UVR estimates were performed using the Tropospheric Ultraviolet and Visible (TUV) RTM model. The following conditions were observed for atmospheric vertical profile: a) tropical atmosphere profile; b) total ozone content (TOC); and c) aerosol optical properties at Itajubá’s site (22.4°S, 45.5°W, 850m.). Previously, RTM parametrization and sensitivity tests were performed involving different optical depths (OD), vertical thicknesses, cloud base height and cloud top height for winter and summer solstices. Then, UVR data provided by a Kipp & Zonen SUV-E radiometer were used to compare UV Index (UVI) estimates from RTM by statistical methods: a) the root-mean-square error (RMSE); b) correlation coefficient (r); c) BIAS and; index of agreement (d). To evaluate the effect of the clouds, the Cloud Modification Factor (CMF) Index was used. Results showed satisfactory performance of the technique (p < 0.0001) with the utilization of the thresholds of 0.18 (smartphone) and 0.26 (photographic camera), being higher the ones obtained with the utilization of the threshold of 0.12. About the other thresholds found in the literature, the results reveal equivocally, values of CC corresponding to 100% for every case. Sensitivity tests showed that the vertical position and the thickness of the clouds represent only a source of minor errors lower than 3.2% for UVI calculations. Thus, the cloud OD is the most important input value to be considered for the TUV RTM. In general, the performance of the TUV MTR in cloudiness events was satisfactory (p < 0.0001), with strong positive correlations (r > 0.91), high agreements (d > 0.92) and tendency of overestimation of the model. The maximum UVI observed was 13.7 in the presence of Altocumulus (Ac) clouds. In case of strong UVI attenuation caused by overcast skies with Nimbostratus (Ns) clouds, the mean CMF value was 0,2 (± 0,1). On the other hand, UVI increase occurred in Cumulus (Cu) clouds conditions, with mean CMF of 1,1 (± 0.1). It is worth pointing out that the occurrence of clouds does not indicate safe sun exposure.

Several regions of Brazil have been experiencing periods of intense drought in the last
decades. Given the current energy matrix of the country is predominantly produced by
hydropower plants, a reduction in the reservoir flow can compromise its production.
Therefore, the Brazilian government has seeking the diversification of energy production with other renewable sources. The introduction of new renewable sources such as wind and solar power requires a detailed study about local weather conditions usually through historical data analysis. However, several areas in Brazil are not covered by weather station. In this context, this studies aims to assess the ability of the Global Forecast System (GFS) to represent wind , on the state of Minas Gerais (MG), which has 79.5% of energy production associated with water resources. For most areas, 10 meters wind speed values of the GFS analysis registered by the weather stations were very close to that registered by the weather stations GFS analysis. Considering the 10 and 100 meters, the winds are more intense in the north of the state, a region where the highest power densities are also recorded (approximately 150 Wm-2 in winter and spring). Knowing that the north of the state is characterized by low precipitation rates, mainly during winter and spring, seasons when the winds, in turn, are more intense in this area, the results of the model indicate that the region can be classified in Class 1, taking into account the intensity and power density of the wind. Thus, it has low conditions for the generation of wind energy; however it can be used as a complementary source to the generation of hydroelectricity.

The banana cultivation has received a huge contrast in the South of Minas Gerais. It has been granted by its soil and climate conditions, its altitude and the crop management used by the farmers. This increase betrays how important is to evaluate the impact of production about the soil quality, independent of the adopted productions system, be it organic or conventional, which can be done through indicators. Within the context aimed to evaluate the soil quality depending on different banana cultivation conventional and organic systems, through integrated analysis of physical, chemical, microbiological and visual attributes, using an area of a native forest as reference. The deformed and not deformed samples were collected at a depth of 0 to 20 cm in the city of Gonçalves (Minas Gerais’ state), then undergo to physic analysis (texture, soil density, particle density, total porosity, weighted geometric mean diameter); chemical (soil fertility and organic matter); microbiological (microbial biomass carbon, microbial activity and qCO2); and visual indicators related to soil, vegetation, soil and wild fauna. The results indicate that the cultural practices and the soil management adopted in the organic and conventional productions system contributed to an expressive contribution or organic matter attributed to the constant depositions of the biomass of the banana tree, with no difference with the reference area of native forest. Thus, maintenance the physic, microbiological and visual of the soil. The chemical indicators showed chemical conditions favorable to the development of the breeding stock in organic systems, and especially in conventional systems, where, in addition to the deposited organic material, chemical inputs were added. The limitations of the selection of chemical indicators are highlighted, which did not assess the effects of chemical inputs used in conventional systems, which is the main factor that differentiates the management carried out in organic and conventional systems.

Brazil has faced one of the biggest water crises in recent years as a result of extreme hydrological and meteorological events. An irregularity of rain events has a recorded effect or water balance in the hydrographic basins, for example in the São Francisco River basin, a region with high water vulnerability and with desertification trends. Due to the extreme national relevance of this basin for the country, the present study had as main objective the analysis of the predictability of extreme events that altered the water availability of the São Francisco River basin, from the integration of a regional atmospheric model and a hydrological model. For this purpose, a set of five members of seasonal rainfall forecasts was used for each month between the periods from 2001 to 2018, these being generated by a downscaling of the atmospheric model Eta of CPTEC/INPE. These data were provided as input variables in the hydrological model MGB-IPH in the generation of seasonal streamflow forecasts in the São Francisco River basin. As for the observed data of rainfall and streamflow, used in the comparison with the predicted data, these were obtained from historical series of pluviometric and fluviometric stations of the National Water Agency (ANA), respectively, in addition to series of natural streamflows of the hydroelectric use in the case of the Três Marias, Sobradinho, Itaparica/Luiz Gonzaga and Paulo Afonso/Moxotó hydroelectric stations. The accuracy of the forecasts was analyzed both visually and statistically using the Relative Mean Error (EMR), Mean Absolute Error (EMA) and Pearson's Linear Correlation Coefficient (r) indicators. The results of the EMR and r indices indicated that, in general, the Eta/MGB models showed a good performance of the seasonal streamflow forecasts for the basin, mostly for the sub-basins located in the Upper and Lower São Francisco. Regarding the precedents, no significant differences were observed between the horizons analyzed, although the results for one month were relatively better considering the r index. However, it points to the need for corrections to the rainfall forecasts and the bias in the streamflow forecasts in some regions, as in the case of Sobradinho, which showed some systematic errors.

Nowadays, with environmental measures in evidence, it is common to discuss the best ways to obtain cartographic information about degraded areas. This information is of paramount importance for the effectiveness of some programs already proposed in Brazil, such as the Rural Environmental Registry and the Environmental Recovery Program. When it comes to degraded areas, there are several factors that contribute to degradation, especially soil degradation. Degradations of the soil when in the last state generate gullies, which present several damages to nature, as they have an irreversible state, being possible only their partial recovery. The monitoring of these areas, as well as information about them, is of the utmost importance to ensure control and define the conservation methods of these areas. Under this problem, this work aims to evaluate the efficiency of a classification procedure, oriented, semi-automatic (GEOBIA) in cartographic products produced by Remote Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for the delimitation of gullies. The use of cartographic products from ARP (Digital Elevation Model and Digital Orthophoto), is justified due to the low cost of the tool, as well as the Planimetric and Altimetric potential that these products have presented; Another important factor is the remote information through these products, which guarantees greater security in relation to conventional methods of obtaining information. The work addresses the combination of data mining and GEOBIA, as auxiliary techniques in gullet delimitation processes. The Procedures were carried out in two study areas, both located in the municipality of Itajubá-MG. In these areas, some control and checking points were defined for the classification of cartographic products in relation to the Digital Cartographic Accuracy Standard. The products presented class A, for the 1 / 2,000 scale. Some segmentation parameters were determined to form reliable segments for each specific study area, then the most relevant attributes were determined for the classification and construction of the decision tree for each area. In making the decision tree, the C 4.5 algorithm was used. The results were satisfactory at levels of precision (Kappa index between 0.89 and 0.92), making it possible for the techniques used in cartographic products from ARP to be a tool for delimiting degraded areas of the gully erosion.

Soil degradation has seriously threatened food production and food security in the world. Mainly due to the absence of environmental indicators to plan the expansion of agricultural activities, which can result in soil loss and decreased agricultural and livestock productivity. Studies on the dynamics of land use and occupation and assessments of land use capacity are essential tools for monitoring and rational planning of land use, since they provide a global view of the problem and the delimitation of possible causes of environmental degradation, in addition to pointing out the potential and limitations of the physical environment. In this context, the present study aimed to carry out the temporal analysis of environmental degradation, in 2008 and 2018, in the municipality of Senador Amaral (MG), resulting from land use conflicts in Areas of Permanent Preservation (APPs) of springs, slopes, hilltops and zones riparian and use beyond its capacity. The initial mapping was based on the survey and characterization of the physical and geomorphological aspects of the terrain, such as the delimitation of the drainage network, hydrographic micro-basins and APPs of springs, slopes, hilltops and zones riparian, and also in the identification of degraded areas. For the elaboration of the land use and land cover map of the municipality, in the years 2008 and 2018, images from Landsat 5 (sensor TM-C1) and Landsat 8 (OLI sensor) were used, respectively, with spatial resolution of 30 m for supervised classification by the maximum likelihood statistical algorithm (MaxVer). The land use conflict maps according to CFB and the agronomic capacity were obtained by overlapping data initially collected. The most representative class of use identified in the study was that of pasture, occupying 50.14% of the municipal area, followed by forests (25.37%) and bare soil (16.60%). APPs represent 9.83% of the total area, 57.68% of which are not in compliance with environmental legislation. Through the integrated analysis of the forms of use and occupation and the classification of the capacity, it was possible to verify that there are 38.83 km² of areas being used outside the productive capacity of the soils. According to the Land Use Capacity System, the most recommended land uses for the municipality of Senador Amaral are pastures, reforestation and preservation of wildlife, however, there is a significant number of areas also suitable for the cultivation of annual and perennial crops.

The growing demand for electricity in Brazil and the intensification of the discussion about the preservation of the environment makes the research of means of electricity generation with low environmental impact always current and necessary. The hydraulic power station uses cause great environmental impacts, especially by the extension of flooded area. Energy production from Small Hydroelectric Power Plants may be an effective alternative, whose technology is widely dominated in the country, and which have a minor impact on the environment. The main objective of this research was to analyze the normative aspect of environmental licensing for the implantation of Small Hydroelectric Plants, identifying options for their real improvement. As a work methodology, a survey of the legislation concerning environmental licensing in Brazil was carried out, identifying the contribution of Small Hydroelectric Plants to the Brazilian electricity sector and the main obstacles of the environmental licensing process in the current regulatory scenario. Environmental licensing processes for Small Hydroelectric Power Plants underway in the Regional Environment Superintendencies of Minas Gerais were also analyzed. The research showed that, among other aspects, the excessive discretion of the Administration, the obscurity of the norm, the diversity in the required documentation of the entrepreneur, the overlapping of norms, and the precariousness of the structure, including technical personnel, cause the slowness and subjectivity of the procedure. So also the lack of a classification of the Small Hydroelectric Power Plants according to their size, degrading potential, flooded area and locational criteria. The research also pointed out that simple measures such as the unification of standards at the federal level or even at the state level, associated with red tape, and the setting of quality parameters for environmental studies would bring a great benefit to the sector.

Anaerobic digestion represents a strategic treatment method to high generation of manure by swine, generating biogas, a type of renewable fuel and an organic substrate. However, the high variability of methane and cost of operation make its dissemination in Brazil minimal and slow. In this line, the innovation of the present study consists in the use of iron ore tailings to optimize this process in pig farming. For the study, mineralogical and toxicological analyzes were carried out of the mining waste from the Conceição II (Vale do Rio Doce Company), followed by the anaerobic digestion of the excrement in sequential batch reactors (SBRs) with tailings / substrate dosages of 1.56 kg / m3, 3.12 kg / m3 and 4.69 kg / m3 to then assess the use of the additive in the process by analyzing the reduction of organic constituents, trace elements, production and composition of the biogas generated. In the last part of the study, the toxicity of the substrate with the species E. Crypticus was analyzed, followed by the economic analysis of the entire process using uncertainty methodology. The results indicated the presence of the elements Fe, K, Si, Al, Mg, Ca, Na and P in the additive, obtaining the production of 8.41.10-2 m3 CH4 / kg substrate and reductions in organic load of 77% and 81, 4% for the maximum applied dosage. The level cost of electricity ranged from 350 - 450 R$ / MWh for scenarios with 50 thousand and 200 thousand heads, which values are not competitive in relation to other renewable energy sources in the country. The application of the substrate in the soil was highly toxic for organisms in all treatments. In this sense, although the promising use of this residue in this technology, further studies must be carried out to decrease the trace elements in the fertilizer generated.

The measurement of the adaptive capacity of a system to climate change faces numerous challenges, such as addressing the multiple scales, temporality and its complex systems, as well as defining criteria and dimensions to evaluate a concept that is socially constructed. With regard to the measurement of adaptive capacity in the urban context, there are gaps in the literature, while there are opportunities, since indicators can underpin the construction of public policies and make cities less vulnerable to climate change. With regard to a country of continental dimensions such as Brazil, there are other challenges, such as improving the adaptive capacity of small and medium-sized cities, since cities with up to 20,000 inhabitants are not obliged to execute the basic documents that regulate the use and occupation of land, even if they correspond to 68.4% of Brazilian cities. In this context, the objective of this work is to analyze, from the aspect of governance and public policies of urban planning, the adaptive capacity of Brazilian cities, small and medium, to climate change, with special focus on 5 (five) municipalities in southern Minas Gerais. The methodology for measuring the adaptive capacity used was the Urban Adaptation Index (UAI), for all Brazilian municipalities, where the correlations between adaptive capacity and spatial, demographic and degree of urbanization of Brazilian municipalities were analyzed. We sought to find common similarities and practices in the 5 dimensions that make up the IAU – housing, urban mobility, agriculture, environmental management and risk management – especially in small and medium-sized municipalities, in order to make inferences of how they behave in the face of climate change. In a national context, it can be highlighted, from the point of view of municipal governance, that Brazilian municipalities have low adaptive capacity, being 56% with very low or low IAU, and only 9% with high or very high. For small and medium-sized cities, the correlation between population size and adaptive capacity was low (r = 0.22), but positive, but positive, indicating that there is a correlation, even if low between adaptive capacity and population size. The correlation between the degree of urbanization and adaptive capacity, although relatively higher (r = 0.31), is still low, but also reinforcing the hypothesis that municipalities with lower rates of urbanization have lower rates of adaptive capacity. The case study corroborates this understanding, since managers of smaller and more inland municipalities were more willing to elaborate and discuss public policies aimed at rural areas, in addition, it was remarkable the perception about climate risks of managers of municipalities in a risk area, demonstrating that the IAU can be an efficient mechanism for measuring municipal adaptive capacity , mainly under the governance aspect of public policies of urban planning. In this context, the work sought to contribute to the analyses and discussions carried out in the expansion of knowledge about small and medium-sized cities in the relationship of governance and public policies in relation to climate change.

Environmental changes and climate change make their presence in everyday life of citizens, bringing, from a theoretical and methodological point of view, the need to ask about a set of new risks and threats that could worsen adverse situations that are already in place in urban centers. At the local level, where populations are directly affected by those changes and adaptation actions need to be urgently thought out and implemented, this response movement must address key issues of urban governance. In this context, understanding the relationship between the perception of a phenomenon and its occurrence is extremely important, especially for decision makers in terms of actions and strategies that need to be implemented at the local level. In this sense, the general objective of this thesis is the identification and analysis of possible impacts of climate change predicted for municipalities on the southern area of the state of Minas Gerais, as well as the perceptions from local institutional actors about climate events, risks and adaptation strategies. In order to do so, a recent and a projected climate scenario for the Southern region of MG were traced using both RCCI and SCVI indexes and using bibliographic review data on projections, impacts and monitoring and alert systems from the region under study. In addition, an analysis of secondary data was made using questionnaires on climate change and adaptations completed by municipal agents from 59 of the 155 southern municipalities from the state of Minas Gerais. The data collected as well as the results obtained show that the municipalities of southern Minas Gerais are already suffering from the changes in climate and their associated impacts, although the problem of climate change is not yet an urgent issue within the political agenda. Certainly, all this analysis and discussion allows to increase our knowledge about how the second largest Brazilian state, having already a history of causing great impacts on environmental and economic issues, advances in adaptation and mitigation of climate change.

SILVA, Matias Sales. Influences of atmospheric and local forcing for pluviometric variability along the Paraíba do Sul river. 2019, 80 f. Dissertation (Master in Environment and Water Resources) - Institute of Natural Resources, Federal University of Itajubá, Itajubá, 2019.
In the last decades, the Paraíba do Sul river basin, located in the Southeast region of Brazil, has presented extensive and / or recurrent periods of drought. Due to its great geographic extension, the basin suffers the influence of forcing in with regards the aspect of precipitation. The objective of this work is the identification of these forcing, whether meteorological and / or local, that regulate the rainfall regime in portions of the basin. To do this, we used the clustering technique, which, by means of rainfall stations datasets divides the study area with respect to homogeneity of precipitation. The analysis of dry and wet weather periods in each area of the basin was performed using the Standardized Precipitation Index (PPI), an index that has been widely used by the scientific community. Finally, for the identification of local factors associated with orographic precipitation, the Froude number was used. The results show that the basin can be divided into three sectors with respect to rainfall and that these can present different responses when analyzed according to the use of IPP. To these responses, a local effect can be associated, the presence of a downgrade of the Serra do Mar, which favors the entry of humid winds in the middle portion of the basin and assists in the occurrence of orographic rain.

Depressive disorders tend to affect more and more people around the world, and the elderly are among the groups vulnerable to this disease. Some external factors, such as noise, may contribute to the occurrence of depression symptoms. Noise is an environmental factor that can contribute to stress, which can lead to depression. Aims to analyze the association between noise nuisance and the prevalence of depressive symptoms in elderly residents of the city of Itajubá, Minas Gerais. The study was conducted in the city of Itajubá, located in the south of Minas Gerais. Semi-structured questionnaires were applied in addition to the Yessavage Abbreviated Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) in people aged 65 years and over. The questionnaires were applied in the Family Health Strategies. The population sampling process for questionnaire application and data collection was obtained by the simple random sample method. The data were evaluated as the multiple logistic regression method in the Epi Info program version 2010. The outcome variable was the depressive symptom evaluated by GDS. Of the 300 elderly participants in the study with mean age of 74 years, 35.3% (106) presented symptoms of depression, of which 64.2% were female. The multiple analysis of the explanatory variables and the outcome variable (presence of depressive symptoms: GDS) returned as variables of high significance for the outcome, age, the presence of extra paid activity and the annoyance due to various noises in the neighborhood. In addition, the odds of the elderly presenting depressive symptoms increase with age, in the presence of annoyance by general urban noises in their neighborhood, concomitant to the elderly not to perform an extra activity, remunerated. Noise, expressed by the nuisance provoked, contributes to the loss of the quality of life of the elderly, provoking irritation, stress and consequently the depressive symptoms. It is important to broaden the horizons of the mental health strategies of the elderly, including this research concern that can aggravate the loss of quality of life of this age group.

The state of São Paulo, as well as the entire Tietê river basin, has great economic importance for the country, since its activities include the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. Advancing the agricultural frontier and increasing urbanization / deforestation are factors that may affect the climate of the region. Given this context, the study aims to analyze the impact of changing land use and cover on surface temperature (Ts) in the Tietê river basin, as well as analyzing the climate projections of this variable until the end of the 21st century. For this, data from different sources (in situ and satellite measurements) were used, such as surface temperature measured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor and 5 km climate projections from the ETA regional model until the end of the year. XXI century. The results indicate that Tsp has great sensitivity to change in land use and cover. For example, in the Lower Tietê sub-basin, the advance in the area intended for agriculture may already have caused a 1.3 ° C increase in the region's annual average. When the Ts is projected towards the end of the century, the change is expected to be even greater and may reach, in the lower portion of Tietê, up to 6ºC more than the present climate. Agricultural activities have intensified in the last 10 years in the state, and concomitantly contributed to an increase in deforestation. If no public policy is adopted in the sense of adaptation and mitigation, the effects can be negative for both the population and agriculture itself.