A qualitative model on sustainability of the Riacho Fundo basin (Brasília, Brazil)

Urbanisation seems to be the future of the global society (Egger, 2006). Understanding the consequences of land use change and the establishment of urban areas is essential for making sustainable this future. This paper describes an implemented qualitative simulation model about the Brazilian Riacho Fundo case study for the Project NaturNet – Redime1. This case study bridges the gap between case studies focussing on sustainability of water bodies in protected areas (River Mesta, Bulgaria, and the Delta of the Danube River, Romania), and case studies that focus on river management and rehabilitation, in areas strongly modified by human influence (River Kamp, Austria, and Rivers Trent and Grand Ouse, England). A complete description of the Riacho Fundo model is presented in Salles (2007).