Degradação da terra no Estado do Maranhão, Brasil

Abstract

Land degradation represents an environmental and socioeconomic challenge, requiring continuous monitoring due to its impacts on ecosystem services. Given the profound changes in land use and land cover in the state of Maranhão, the objective was to assess land degradation in Maranhão using UN indicator 15.3.1 for the period from 2001 to 2023. The first chapter presents a theoretical foundation and the state of the art, with key themes on sustainable development, Agenda 2030 with a focus on sustainable development goal (SDG) 15 and indicator 15.3.1 and its sub-indicators: land cover (LC), soil organic carbon (SOC), and land productivity (LP). The second chapter integrated LT, SOC, and LP data using the Trends. Earth (v.2.1.16) tool, based on a dataset obtained from the MapBiomas platform (collections 9 and Beta) and MODIS (MOD13Q1 product), together with the application of the RESTREND model for climate adjustment to calculate indicator 15.3.1 for the territory of Maranhão. The results indicated that 39.56% of the territory of Maranhão showed signs of degradation, particularly in the central and northwestern regions, as well as in parts of the southern region. Stable areas accounted for 26.39%, while 32.08% were classified as improving, with notable trends in the south and southeast regions, suggesting vegetation recovery and more sustainable soil management practices. The integrated analysis of the sub-indicators of CT, COS stocks, and productivity of the land revealed that environmental degradation in Maranhão is strongly driven by the conversion of natural ecosystems into agricultural and livestock areas, especially in the central-west and northwest regions. In conclusion, the results highlight a misalignment with SDG target 15.3.1, but also point to areas of stability and recovery, indicating potential for mitigation, restoration, and sustainable land management efforts.