Márcia Maria Rios Ribeiro

Participatory and decentralized water resources management: challenges and perspectives for the North Paraíba River Basin committee – Brazil

The Brazilian Water Resources Policy (Law 9433/1997) establishes participatory and decentralized management, involving civil society, water users and governmental bodies, with the basin committees as the basis of this process. Fifteen years after its implementation, it is possible to perceive accomplishments, but, at the same time, there are some difficulties in regards to the operation of the basin committees in the country. Considering the North Paraíba River Basin - which is completely included in the State of Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil, and presents great social and economic importance for the state - this article analyzes the process of formation, installation and functioning of its Basin Committee (CBH-PB), focusing on its composition, the reasons for the mobilization and demobilization of its members, the intra-relations between segments, and the inter-relations between the CBH-PB and other entities of the State Water Management System (the Water Executive Agency and the State Water Resources Council). The level of decentralization and the quality of participatory management (as it is being performed at the CBH-PB) are discussed and guidelines are suggested in order to allow greater effectiveness to the committee.

Public participation for bulk water charge: Paraíba River Basin Committee (Brazil) and Alentejo Hydrographic Region Council (Portugal) cases study

This paper proposes to assess the knowledge and dynamics of Committees/Councils in the discussions and deliberations on the raw water charges in Brazil and in Portugal. The comparison is limited to the evaluation of a Committee and Council and not necessarily reflect the operation of other CBHs, in Brazil, or Councils, in Portugal. It was analyzed the minutes of the meetings of the Paraiba River Basin Committee (CBH-PB) and the Alentejo River Basin Council Region (CRH-Alentejo) as well as interviews with members of the two collective bodies. For the Brazilian case, it appears that CBH-PB members discussed and deliberated on the values and mechanisms for raw water charges. In Portugal, the definition of values and the way of application of the raw water charge (TRH) was held at the central level, without the CRH-Alentejo having the opportunity to argue, not fulfilling its role as a consultative body water management. Water Resources Policies have to gain strength by promoting public participation through discussion formats and being able to engage key stakeholders as well as creating conditions for the development of cooperative relations.

OECD principles on water governance in practice: an assessment of existing frameworks in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and South America

ABSTRACT Through the lens of the 12 OECD Principles on Water Governance, this article examines six water resources and water services frameworks in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and South America to understand enhancing and constraining contextual factors. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used to analyze each framework against four criteria: alignment; implementation; on-ground results; and policy impact. Four main target areas are identified for improving water governance: policy coherence; financing; managing trade-offs; and ensuring integrity and transparency by all decision makers and stakeholders. Suggestions are presented to support practical implementation of the principles through better government action and stakeholder involvement.

Adaptation to Climate Change: Institutional Analysis

There are many challenges for water management under climate change. Institutional capacity for enabling adaptation is one of those challenges, which have to consider uncertainties, participatory processes, and monitoring. Elinor Ostrom, a Nobel winner, produced many relevant contributions to understanding institutional governance. Her work pointed to requirements of adaptive governance, institutional design principles for local common pool resources systems, and social-ecological framework analysis. Recently, Ostrom’s institutional principles have been extended for the governance of adaptation to climate change in the water sector. Adaptation in water sector is a continuous process of learning. Drought management in the present and past is also a way of learning considering experiences on institutions dealing with this challenge. This chapter illustrates how Ostrom’s principles, in the context of a drought management experience in Brazil, might provide a continuous way for assessing if institutions are capable to play their roles in the process of adaptation to climate variability and change.

Avaliação pós-ocupação sob o aspecto do saneamento ambiental em área de interesse social urbanizada no município de Campina Grande, Paraíba

For the last ten years, the city of Campina Grande, Paraiba, has been benefited from a large number of urbanization programs of social concern. With the Federal Act 11,445/2007 (Sanitation Act), considering that environmental sanitation plays a central hole for the population, it is essential the development of Post-Occupancy Evaluation processes. This research aimed to evaluate the environmental performance of social interest under distinguished scenarios of urbanization. The Novo Horizonte community was chosen as case study, located in the southern part of the municipality, because the Federal government sponsored its urbanization process. A methodology for the assessment of environmental health is proposed, which is defined in one Index of Environmental Health for the community Novo Horizonte, composed of seven indicators related to environmental sanitation, public health and socioeconomic aspects. The results showed that urbanization did not occur at the desired amplitude. Among the analyzed indicators, the ones for the water supply and solid waste were more evident, while those related to socioeconomic factors were those that presented the worst results. This research showed how harmful is the execution of a work of segmented urbanization in time, and carried out by separate undertakings, especially when sewage services are done in the first instance. It is concluded that the effectiveness of occupational Post-Occupancy Evaluation is needed to feedback the urbanization projects with funds from the public sector.

Groundwater Management Instruments and Induced Second-Order Conflicts: The Case of the Paraíba River Basin, Brazil

Management measures addressing water scarcity are often pointed out as resolution alternatives for first-order conflicts; however, failures in introducing such measures or their unforeseen consequences can transform them into sources for second-order conflicts caused by social resource scarcity. Hence, implications of their adoption should be analyzed. Considering unsustainable groundwater use in the Paraiba River Basin—the most important basin in the state of Paraiba, Northeastern Brazil—and focusing on water quality guidelines, water permits, and bulk water charges, this paper analyzes thirteen criteria for applying these management instruments with regard to their potential for inducing second-order conflicts, and identifies the possible consequences of their adoption. Then, utilizing the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR), these consequences are introduced as management outcomes to model the conflict over groundwater residential supply in Joao Pessoa, the state’s capital. The analysis/modeling results can support decision-making on options to avoid/minimize second-order conflicts over groundwater management.