Hydrological Monitoring and Urban Resilience: Assessment of the Flow of Ribeirão Morangueiro in Maringá, Brazil

Urban resilience Hydrological monitoring Green infrastructure Urbanization impacts

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March 7, 2026
March 12, 2026

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This study compares flow discharge measurement methods in the Ribeirão Morangueiro watershed, Maringá-PR, Brazil, evaluating the Float technique against the FlowTracker acoustic velocimeter to support Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for urban resilience. Thirteen months of monitoring at five points revealed hydrological instability characteristic of urbanized watersheds, with 15.47% flow variation and environmental degradation including riparian vegetation loss and siltation from gray infrastructure. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and Bland-Altman analysis showed that the Float method systematically overestimates velocity (bias = 0.0968 m3/s, p = 0.0088), requiring correction factors. The absence of statistically significant seasonal differences in discharge values at the watershed outlet (p > 0.05) suggests partial artificial stabilization of baseflow associated with urban water inputs. Results provide technical support for implementing NbS, such as rain gardens, permeable pavements, and restored riparian vegetation, as alternatives to conventional drainage, following successful Brazilian programs like Porto Alegre's Viva a Natureza (15 –20% flooding reduction). The research contributes to SDGs 6, 9, 11, 13, and 15, providing technical evidence to guide the transition from gray to green infrastructure in medium-sized cities.