Anthropic Changes in the River Landscape of São João Del-Rei City – Minas Gerais, Brazil

Anthropogenic interventions in the natural landscape became recurrent from the expansion of nuclei and population increase, causing the relationship established between human beings and nature to move away from the naturalist model and assume an interventionist premise. Among the various interferences in the natural environment, this work establishes a spatial cut in the urban river landscape changes, in particular, those caused by processes of rectification, canalization and plugging of urban rivers. The denaturalization and mischaracterization of this system means that the existence of urban rivers have been ignored, acquiring notoriety only when natural processes, intensified by human beings, cause damage or disaster to the population that usually occupies the floodplain areas. Thus, recognizing these changes and rescuing the relationship of belonging to this environment, which initially supported the formation of most urban centers, becomes essential for local landscape and urban planning. Based on this understanding, this study aimed to carry out a survey of the changes in the river landscape of the São João del-Rei city - Minas Gerais. For this purpose, the descriptive investigative method was used, which made possible the elaboration of a case study. The results obtained by the research indicate that the river landscape has been significantly altered, especially by rectifications, canalizations and plugging of urban rivers, which are presented in a historical context and related to the processes and dynamics of urban waters.