Atlas Ambiental de Porto Alegre

THIS FULL-SIZE atlas of the city of Porto Alegre, capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, is beautifully illustrated with photographs, colour diagrams and maps, and is very clearly laid out, with colour-coded sections and texts explaining facts and concepts relating to the environment. The atlas is accompanied by a CD-Rom containing video clips, views of the city, 3-dimensional models and the simulation of weather conditions. The atlas is suitable for high-school level children and adults; however, it is only published in Portuguese.

The atlas is divided into three sections: natural systems, the built environment and environmental management. The first section explores the geophysical conditions that form the basis of the physical environment, including geological evolution, plate techtonics, hydrology, the evolution of life and flora and fauna, climate, topography and soils. The section ends with an overview of environmental conservation, based on ecological reserves and zoning.

The second section focuses on Porto Alegre. It describes its history of urban development and spatial organization, illustrating the mix of historical and modern architecture and the presence of green spaces, and presents four profiles of the changing city landscape between 1845 and 1990. There follows an extensive section on urban environmental impacts, focusing on air pollution, water and noise pollution, solid waste, drinking water and sanitation, and the impacts of illegal settlements.

The third section focuses on environmental management, with specific reference to sustainable urban development. It examines economic growth, energy consumption and public environmental management, and explores Agenda 21 and the role of local action and public participation, referring to local examples. The section ends with statistics relating to physical data, population, municipal budget, local economy, environmental indicators (green areas, pollution, flooding, water and sanitation) infrastructure, transport, education, communications, housing and health.