Renaturalization of rivers and streams in São Paulo city

Abstract

The city of São Paulo has great part of its humid areas drained and filled with earth. The occupation of fertile valleys brings diverse problems for the city, compromising the natural landscape of the rivers and streams. The problems enclose since the interruption of the environmental processes to questions of superficial draining. Perhaps the reopening of some stretches of the rivers and streams of the city contributes for the ambient awareness of the citizens of Sao Paulo, mainly regarding the localization of the rivers and bad condition of waters. The opening of the canals as solution for the retardation of the draining of superficial waters has been evaluated as less expensive than the construction and maintenance of flood detention reservoir. This can be the beginning of a process of valorization of the humid areas of São Paulo, even though of indirect way.