Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development ofthe Guarani Aquifer System Project

Guarani Aquifer (GAS) Project: from Knowledge to Governance

Luiz Amore

Huge advances in GAS knowledge

• Aquifer system with no strata delimitation;• Database limited and with no consistency;• Important transboundary fluxes;• Unknown boundaries;• Erroneous geometry;• Flourish areas considered as recharge areas;• Unknown discharge;• No understood relationship between local and regional fluxes.

Before Today

BASES FOR MANAGEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, AND SUSTAINABLE USE

• GAS stratigraphic units identified ;• Consistent database that supports map development;• Huge water reservoir, little magnitude of fluxes;• Boundaries determined (including SW);• Geometry, recharge and discharge areas recognized;• Relationships regional – local understood.

Scenario before 2001

• Problem: Lack of social knowledge of GAS.• Actors: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay

– Water Resources– Environment– International Relations

• Context: Marginal place for groundwater in policy agenda and no place in public opinion agenda (invisibility and lack of knowledge that implied the spread of myths and y fears).

Current situation (2008)• Problem solved: social knowledge about

GAS existence;

• Actors: Project Steering Committee as materialization of consensus and agreement (prerequisite for governance);

• Context: repositioning of groundwater in politics and policy agendas and growing presence in public opinion agenda (prerequisite for civil society participation).

+H

+A

-B

-D

-E

+F1

+F2

-G1

-G2

+C

0

0

0 0

0

AreaArea Q min Q min (10(1033mm33/d)/d)

Q maxQ max(10(1033mm33/d)/d)

A+A+ 342342 30783078

B -B - 100100 600600

C+C+ 1919 375375

D(-D(-))

4545 405405

E -E - 2626 3030

F +F + 4040 540540

G -G - 420420 14401440

H +H + 158158 480480RechargeRecharge 559559 44734473

DischargeDischarge -545-545 -2070-2070

DiferenceDiference +134+134 +2403+2403

Estimate of water that moves in GAS

Focus regional / local

Technical knowledge produced at regional level (no interference + very

slow fluxes velocity) determines

Necessary local management

Recent advances at countries’ level

Four countries: Water as Public Good;

Argentina: 5/6 provinces rule the use and protection of groundwater;

Brazil: in 7/8 states the state policy on water resources present specific norms and two national programs for support and funding;

Paraguay: Water Resources Law in regulation process;

Uruguay: national water plebiscite and management plan of infra-basaltic aquifer.

Amplify local /regional

Local management requires cooperation to build knowledge, develop tools, frames, and above all institutionalization (prerequisite for

governance)

Can only been developed from a regional perspective and framework

Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis – TDAStrategic Action Program – SAP

Seed of governance development process.

TDAAgreed and jointed needs identification

SAPContribution to public policy development

Major SAG management tools and the need of continuity

GAS GIS

Monitoring network and Models

Local Committees

Information dissemination

Maintenance

Functioning

Recognition

Capacity building

Steering Committee

NSU- AR NSU- BR NSU- PY NSU- UY

Tech. Secretariat

GAS GIS DisseminationM & M Local Commissions

Cooperation

Institutional Integration

Articulation

Management Tools

Minimum Institutional Arrangements Proposed

Thank youwww.sg-guarani.org

• Argentina: Subsecretaría de Recursos Hídricos del Ministerio de Planificación Federal, Inversión Pública y Servicios

• Brazil: Secretaria de Recursos Hídricos e Ambiente Urbano do Ministério do Medio Ambiente

• Paraguay: Dirección General de Protección y Conservación de Recursos Hídricos de la Secretaria del Ambiente

• Uruguay: Dirección Nacional de Agua y Saneamiento del Ministerio de Vivienda Ordenamiento Territorial y Medio Ambiente