INDICADORES DE SUSTENTABILIDADE DA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIACHO FAÉ, CEARÁ, A PARTIR DE ANÁLISE MULTIVARIADA

Abstract

This work aimed to identify the sustainability indicators of the producers in the river Faé, Ceará, watershed. The field analysis was carried out in September 2006, with the application of cross-over forms to the 237 small producers. Through the employment of the Factor Analysis/Principal Component Analysis AF/ACP it was identified that the model of better adjustment to express the sustainability of the watershed Faé was that composed of six factors, explaining 80.25% of the total variance, dissolved before in 12 dimensions. The first factor explained 21.73% of the total variance and it is related with the health of the farmers. The second and third factors presented a close relation with the soil vegetation cover and the irrigation management, responding for 15.57% and 14.82% of the total variance, respectively. The forth factor, explaining 10.18% of the total variance, presents itself as an indicator of the water preservation. The both remaining factor explain, together, 17.95% of the total variation and express the family organization and the agricultural production techniques of the region, respectively. The sustainability of the producers was determined mainly by the health, vegetation coverage conservation and irrigation indicators, expressing the need of practical courses and the action of the rural extension, where the producer will learn agricultural production techniques by doing them.