Areas of risk of gully erosion in Manaus, state of Amazonas: A contribution to environmental geography

Abstract

This work consists of a geographic-geomorphological analysis of areas at risk for gully erosion in Manaus from the viewpoint of socio-spatial production and based on the theoretical-conceptual assumptions of environmental geography. The results allow us to assert that the overlaps between socio-spatial production and areas at risk in terms of gully erosion in Manaus present as striking features the inadequacy of the rainwater drainage system (piping sizing, disposal of water outlets and energy dissipators), often located in dead-end streets and/or deforested and/or levelled areas; a further feature is its location in the contact areas of spaces differentiated by socio-spatial and historical production within neighbourhoods recognized by municipal legislation (old spaces versus recent spaces; or, neighbourhood/subdivisions/sets/occupation versus green area/unit conservation areas/forest fragments/permanent preservation areas; or, neighbourhood/set/subdivision versus irregular occupations). Therefore, the risk areas constitute true ‘epicentres of environmental vulnerability’ within the neighbourhood/set, that is, they correspond to a ‘periphery within the periphery’ since it spatially delimits the spectrum of the population most excluded from the rights and fundamental guarantees carved in the Federal Constitution of 1988.

Keywords: Risk areas; Gully erosion; Manaus; Amazonas.