The PPA defined by environmental law in Brazil has its first definitions elaborated in the Brazilian Forest Code, specifically in Decree 23,793/34 from 1934. In the explaining of PPA’s ecosystem, [8] exposed that these must contain environmental appearances, socioeconomic and cultural aspects, which are promoting factors for the improvement of human life quality. Besides, the preservation of PPA’s is important in managing watersheds and possesses a significant role in maintaining equilibrium in the hydrologic cycles.

In this context, [9] stresses that environmental preservation in watershed areas is not something only present in current days. Watersheds are defined by [10] as regions on which surface runoff in any point will converge to a common outlet called catchment area. A set of land is drained by river affluent which forms water splitters in high places of the relief.

The constitution watersheds heads explained by [11] as a set of brooks originated from water flowing in terrains that, when connecting to different water flows rise in volume and constitute the first rivers. Therefore, a watershed can contain smaller sub-watersheds. To the author, the delimitation of watersheds given by square kilometers, representing sub-watersheds are bigger than 100 km² and smaller than 700 km².

However, [12] affirms that the measurement of a sub-watershed area is given in hectares. Therefore, the watershed as stated by this author would represent an area possessing something in between 20,000 and 30,000 hectares, that is, between 200 and 300 square kilometers.

The watershed is characterized by [13] as a composition of elements. Such as a water divider, soil, formal elements, draining networks, declivity and the hypsometric curve. The water dividers, featured as geological and topographical, connecting in the main section of the water basin and accomplishing the limitation of the draining area. This is one of the characterizing elements of the watershed. According to [13] , the watershed soils are stratified by a particular classification, which consists one of the phases in the geomorphological and physiographic study of the watershed.

Watersheds importance, as explained by [14] , reveals physical indicators that allow for qualifications of environmental alterations, allowing the study of environmental vulnerability in a drainage basin. According to [15] , the drainage network composed by a main course of water and its contributors feature a watershed. The drainage network is bound to the efficacy in the draining process of the watershed area in the peak flow. The declivity of the watershed is relevant for planning actions, for it possesses a function in law enforcement and in the efficiency of human interventions, revealing itself fundamental in water distribution and in surface and subterranean runoff.

The hypsometric curves are identified as the curves established from the connection between areas percentage in declivity areas, represented in a graphic with the objective of revealing the way in which subterranean rocky volume is distributed [16] .

Therefore, the inclusion of human activities in PPA areas as a determinant factor in valorization of urban land impact a fragile environment as declared by [5] , generating risks to areas with the presence of watersheds, recall [8] .

The term “soil usage and occupation” defined by [17] in the light of rulings on density, activity regimen, building control apparels and the soil division that form the urbanistic regimen of cities. The “soil usage and occupation” is, according to [18] , a function depending on zoning. The city zoning is an instrument of the master plans that divide the city in areas on which differentiated directives and urban indicators occur. By delimitating areas and defining soil usage, observing the individual needs and characteristics of each place, zoning tries to assure the social and environmental development of the city.

In the context of technological advances, it’s possible to stress the appearing of the term geoprocessing, which, according to [19] , originates from the aggregation of the Greek word geo (Earth) with the Latin word “processus” (progress, “walk forward”), meaning, a process capable of bringing progress to Earth. Geoprocessing, explains [20] , puts together hardware, software, databases and methodologies, being therefore a technique formed by a technological confluence.

Geotechnology, also known as geoprocessing is, to [21] , a set of technologies to collect, processing, analysis and information offer with geographical reference. Geotechnology involves the Global Positioning System (GPS), Remote Sensing, Digital Image Processing, Digital Cartography, the Database Management Systems and the Geographic Information Systems (GIS), forming a group of techniques bound to treatment of spatial information.

The technical specialties from GIS are, according to [22] , a fundamental element of geoprocessing. These systems are an important instrument to aid in planning, management and identifying environmental activities. The usage of geoprocessing has been recurring in environmental analysis and this fact is shown by [23] [24] and, more recently, on the works of [25] and [26] . These works have shown how geographic databases can be managed and accessed by many users (state power, researchers and other institutions) and, through the treatment of spatial information, generate knowledge that contribute to a more rational decision making process. Geoprocessing applied in environmental methodologies as approached by [27] works on thematic mapping, environmental diagnostics, environmental impact assessments, territorial arrangement and zoning.

In a specific way, the usage of geoprocessing tools that aid in managing watersheds isn’t a recent approach, as shown by [28] and [29] . However, new techniques applied as shown through terrain elevation data interpolations, extracted from plan altimetry letters, define topographical dividers in [30] works. Therefore, [27] differentiates GIS from other programs given its function to associate and treat data with geographical attributes.

The template is used to format your paper and style the text. All margins, column widths, line spaces, and text fonts are prescribed; please do not alter them. You may note peculiarities. For example, the head margin in this template measures proportionately more than is customary. This measurement and others are deliberate, using specifications that anticipate your paper as one part of the entire journals, and not as an independent document. Please do not revise any of the current designations.

In this work, the geographical boundaries treated are the city of Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná

State (Figure 2), specifically the watershed area of M’Boyci River. Sendo a escolha desta área motivada pelo fato da PPA se localizar em uma bacia com a presença de uma grande área urbana.

The M’Boyci River is the second hydrographic course in extension considering Foz do Iguaçu city. Its influence in Urban Zoning region is equivalent to 99% of river’s area. The M’Boyci watershed (see Figure 3) has its source and mouth disposed in geographic coordinates: 25.508347˚S, 54.537786˚W and 25.554495˚S, 54.591291˚W respectively. According to the spatial analysis performed from census databases and other information available from the cartography of the city municipality, the extension of the study area has 9258 meters in a total area of 25.3 square kilometers, passing through 97 neighborhoods of the city, containing approximately 28.500 residencies and nearly 85,500 inhabitants.

In the first research step, it was collected data from the municipality of Foz do Iguaçu. The main data consists of orthophotos and topographical maps obtained from raster images derived of a 25 cm per pixel scale, having spatial GSD resolution dated on November 2013 from an aerial survey deferred by the Defense Ministry of Brazil.

In the geographical information treatment step, the collected image data processed in software gvSIG originated the following parts:

1) M’Boyci River watershed influence area delimitation, as it hydrographical network, considering the law in permanent preservation areas which determinates at least 15 meters of the river banks;

2) Georeferencing work and urban areas characterization surrounding M’Boyci river watershed;

3) Thematic mapping of influence area layers confrontation between watershed and urban areas;

4) Identification of urban areas that occupy PPA delimitation and main affected areas mapping;

5) Analysis and discussions on government actions in environmental and social projects and PPA recovery considering risks evaluation.