Contributions of the Geosystem-Territory-Landscape (GTP) system to environmental risk perception: a methodological outline

Abstract

Due to the continuous, unequal and contradictory growth of cities, there has been much talk about occupying areas of environmental risk. The risks involved are the most diverse ones and can range from a simple flood to inundations and landslides, causing economic losses and deaths. In view of that, analyses of these areas have been carried out based on all available theoretical and methodological framework developed in the academia. However, little has been considered about the opinion of the residents living in these areas, who should be seen as the most knowledgeable people on the subject. This study aims to present a risk analysis matrix created with the objective of identifying the perception of people in relation to the risks existing in the areas where they live, which is a different perspective from that of the technicians who evaluate these areas. The development and application of this matrix and the debate around it are based on the theoretical conceptions of the tripolar system called Geosystem, Territory and Landscape (GTP, from French: Géosystème - Territoire - Paysage). As a test, the matrix was applied at twenty points along the Quati stream basin, in the city of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. Finally, it was found the matrix allows for a more complex analysis of the variables of danger and vulnerability (risk components), becoming a relevant tool for urban environmental planning and management.