Journal of Agricultural Sciences & Technology
Volume 2&3, No. 1, 2025
Pages 40-56
DOI: 10.36108/jast/5202.320.0130
Land Degradation Assessment in the Angra dos Reis (Brazil) Using Remote Sensing and GIS
Manuscript Received: 16/07/2025 Manuscript Accepted: 25/09/2025 Article Published: 07/10/2025
* ALABED Mohammad, SABOYA Marcos, SANTOS Camila, VARGAS Ruan, FERREIRA DIAS Fábio
Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Department of Geoenvironmental Analysis, Instituto de Geociências, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. Brasil
*Corresponding Author- Email: m.abed@yahoo.com Orcid No: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3949-959X
Abstract
The municipality of Angra dos Reis, on Brazil’s Green Coast, is highly vulnerable to land degradation due to steep slopes, intense rainfall, and increasing human pressures. This study applied the United Nations Environment Program, Priority Actions Program Regional Activity Centre methodology, representing its novel application in a humid tropical coastal environment. This approach was integrated with multi-source remote sensing data, including Landsat images from 1985 and 2023, Airbus imagery (2024), and Esri’s World Imagery Basemap with Geographic Information System tools (ArcGIS, QGIS) to map erosion risk and prioritize areas for soil conservation. Results show that 88.17% of the area is stable, while 4.34% (35.3 km²) shows active sheet and rill erosion, especially near urban areas and steep terrains. A multi-criteria framework identified 24.63 km² of stable and 29.39 km² of unstable land as medium to high priority for intervention. Analysis of land use and cover change (1985–2023) revealed a significant urban expansion of 13.01 km², occurring concurrently with a 12.95 km² gain in forest cover. This seemingly contradictory trend highlights a fragmented development pattern where environmental gains in remote areas are offset by intense degradation in fragile, high-pressure zones. The study provides a replicable, data-driven model for assessing and prioritizing land degradation in similar vulnerable regions worldwide, offering a practical framework for municipal planning and disaster risk reduction efforts under Brazil’s Forest Code and urban master plans, with potential for funding implementation through national environmental funds.
Keywords: Atlantic Forest, Angra dos Reis, Erosion risk mapping, GIS, Remote sensing, Soil erosion