LA APLICACIÓN DE LOS MAPAS DE SENSIBILIDAD AMBIENTAL EN LOS ESTUDIOS DE IMPACTO AMBIENTAL

In Salta, Argentina, relevant government agencies, require the completion of Environmental and Social Impact Studies (ESIS) to enable the development of productive activities or to implement infrastructure projects. In this context, and spatial analysis and assessment of environmental impacts, the maps Environmental Sensitivity (ES) become relevant, which should be considered as instrumental simulation models. You can define the ES as susceptibility presenting the different components of natural and built environment for the purpose of further action on the system of man. In this connection it should be borne in mind, environmental components have unequal levels of previous alterations and different capacities to absorb new impacts to which they are subjected. The ES is closely linked to the concepts of reception or absorption (recovery) that have environmental components, such capabilities must be addressed in a holistic and integrated for analysis of constructive alternatives to incorporate infrastructure. ES maps are undoubtedly important to define a priori the contingency plans, corrective actions, mitigation or compensation to the occurrence of damage to the environment. ES maps must also become accessible language (instrumental models) for society to internalize the environmental conditions in the situation with and without the project. A case study is presented for the installation of production infrastructure, which referred to the physical, biological and socioeconomic factors through: surface runoff, topography, soil types, landscapes and land uses. For the generation of ES maps was used a weighted polynomial whose weights were defined on the basis of consultation with experts. Resumen En Salta, Argentina, los organismos gubernamentales pertinentes, exigen la realización de Estudios de Impacto Ambiental y Social (EsIAS) para permitir el desarrollo de actividades productivas o para la implementación de obras de infraestructura. En este contexto, y para el análisis y valoración espacial de los impactos ambientales, cobran relevancia los mapas de Sensibilidad Ambiental (SA), los que deben ser considerados como modelos instrumentales de simulación. Se puede definir a la SA como: la susceptibilidad que presentan los diferentes componentes del ambiente natural y construido a los efectos de nuevas actuaciones del hombre sobre el sistema. En este sentido debe tenerse en cuenta que, los componentes ambientales presentan desiguales niveles de alteraciones previas y diferentes capacidades para absorber los nuevos impactos a los que son sometidos. La SA está muy ligada a los conceptos de capacidad de recepción (acogida) o de absorción (recuperación) que presentan los componentes ambientales; dichas capacidades deben ser