Benedito P. F. Braga

Pacto federativo e gestão de águas

Resultado de um dispositivo constitucional, o Sistema Nacional de Gerenciamento de Recursos Hidricos (Singreh), regulamentado pela Lei n.9.433 de 1997, considera a natureza federativa do pais. Alem disso, a legislacao traz novos paradigmas de descentralizacao, utilizacao de instrumentos economicos para a gestao e participacao publica no processo de tomada de decisao. O presente artigo, portanto, alem de tratar das disponibilidades e demandas de recursos hidricos nas 12 regioes hidrograficas e abordar o desenho institucional e o funcionamento do Singreh em termos dos arranjos legais e institucionais, apresenta, em linhas gerais, os desafios da gestao das aguas por bacia hidrografica no contexto federativo, e trata do processo de implementacao dos instrumentos tecnicos e institucionais de recursos hidricos na Bacia Hidrografica do Rio Paraiba do Sul, primeira bacia brasileira a implantar a cobranca pelo uso da agua e a operacionalizar uma Agencia de Agua.

Water Quality Management in the Americas

Water Quality Issues in Latin America.- Economic Instruments and Nonpoint Source Water Pollution.- Role of Water Rights and Market Approaches to Water Quality Management.- Effectiveness of Market Approaches to Water Quality Management.- Integrated Water Quality Management in Brazil.- Institutional Aspects of Water Quality Management in Brazil.- Water Quality Management in Ceara, Brazil.- Water Quality Management in Mexico.- Water Quality Management: Missing Concept for Developing Countries.- Public Policies for Urban Wastewater Treatment in Guanajuato, Mexico.- Water Quality Management: North American Development Bank Experience.- Water Quality Management in Central America: Case Study of Costa Rica.- Legal and Institutional Frameworks for Water Quality Management in Argentina.- Water Quality Management in Chile: Use of Economic Instruments.- Water Pollution Charges: Colombian Experience.

Water Charges: Paying for the Commons in Brazil

This paper discusses the processes leading to the current basis for water pricing in Paraiba do Sul basin of Brazil. Reaching agreements required trade-offs between all parties involved. A simple method that could be promptly accepted by all was preferred. Agreements were reached between the various stakeholders, and water pricing started in early 2003. Although the current formula for water pricing is far from perfect, and will require further adjustments, the decision to levy bulk water charges has been generally accepted, and is now fully operational. The paper also addresses experiences for the state of Ceara, where water charges were established as a pioneering strategy to address cyclic droughts in this semi-arid region. Co-operation among the stakeholders transformed a water crisis scenario into a ‘win–win’ situation, laying the seeds for further regional economic development.

Reservoir Management in South America

Abstract There has been a rapid increase in the number and size of reservoirs in all continents. In South America some hydrographicbasins such as the la Plata are almost completely exploited whereas others such as the Amazon are just starting to be exploited for hydropower energy. Ecological studies at the newly created artificial lakes were carried out from the filling phase and extending some years after, in order to understand the functioning of the lakes, the problems arising from the impoundment and to explore the possibilities of applying cheap ecotechnology as corrective measures. The studies in the Amazonian reservoirs have shown that oxygen depletion and nutrient accumulation are a serious problem in lakes with dendritic shape and long residence time. Clearing biomass prior to impoundmentand new engineering designs for water oxygenationmust bc developed. Results from la Plata basin reservoirs show that eutrophication, toxic contamination and siltation are widespread problems which must be correct...

Dams and the Environment: The Brazilian Experience

Abstract Water resources development requires basically two types of action: structural and non-structural. The developed world, since early times, has been using the structural approach (dams, reservoirs, canals, etc.) in order to provide the infrastructure for development.Non-structural alternatives are now in great evidence in the developed countries. They include, in the case of flood control, among others, laws, regulations, insurance and flood warning systems. These measures can significantly reduce damages in flood control management, but, in general, they do not reduce the risk of a flood. Conservation of energy is a typical non-structural measure to increase energy supplies in the developed world. On the other hand, the developing world is at a level of energy generation such that structural measures are necessary for development. This paper discusses this issue in a Brazilian case study. It presents the energy matrix of the country showing that hydropower is the only feasible alternative for ele...

Integrated River Basin Plan in Practice: The São Francisco River Basin

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is a very encompassing concept that needs breaking down in order for it to be applied to real life cases. This paper breaks down this concept to consider the multiple objectives and uses of water, the incorporation of other sectors in the planning process and the involvement of stakeholders in the decision-making process. The IWRM concept is applied to develop an integrated water resources river basin plan for the Sao Francisco river basin. This basin has an area of 600 000 km2 with significant climatic, ecological and socio-economic variations. A river basin committee, with representatives from government, users, professional associations and NGO, is responsible for approving the river basin plan. The plan was developed by the National Water Agency of Brazil and submitted to the river basin committee for approval. The preparation of the plan involved a large number of stakeholders from state government agencies, local governments, users and the organized civil society. This paper presents this integrated river basin plan and the correspondent participatory development process.

Integrated Water Resources Management in a Federative Country: The Case of Brazil

This paper presents an overview of the water resources in Brazil: the country that holds 12% of the worlds fresh water and has one of the most modern and sophisticated water resources management systems. This system—the National Water Resources Management System (SINGREH)—introduced new paradigms into water management practices in Brazil, such as decentralization, the use of economic tools, and public participation. In particular, this paper describes the roles of the National Water Agency, the institution created to implement such a complex system, taking into account the federative character of the country. In addition, the paper reviews the main challenges of river basin management in Brazil, considering the existence of rivers under different jurisdictions—Federal and State—within a single river basin. The paper then analyses the implementation and evolution of water use charges and the water agency at the Piracicaba, Capivari and Judiaí river basins, as a study case. Those river basins are currently investing R

Transboundary Water Management of the Amazon Basin

34 million in actions envisaged at the River Basin Water Plan. At the end, the paper concludes that global changes will bring new and important challenges to water resources management around the world in general, and in Brazil, in particular.

Aguas doces no Brasil: capital ecológico, uso e conservação

In this paper the Amazon Basin is presented and its hydrology and natural environment are described. Monitoring this large river basin is necessary and becomes more and more important when different scientific institutions show alarming forecasts of increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation in the basin as a result of climate change. The monitoring scheme developed by Brazil and its neighbours shows the importance of this activity and its role as a mechanism to improve co-operation among countries in the basin. The institutional mechanism for transboundary river basin management is the Amazon Basin Co-operation Treaty, signed by the nine countries of the basin. This treaty is described and can serve as a good example of how this type of problem can be tackled in other regions of the world.