Facing Water Challenges in Lake Merin:A WWDR3 Case Study
From WaterWiki.net
- Synopsis
The ecological and economic riches of this region are under human and climatic pressure, while a deteriorating hydrological monitoring network makes accurate assessment complicated.
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Background and Significance
Both Brazil and Uruguay are following up on the recommendations in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation regarding IWRM and water efficiency plans. In Brazil, the 1997 National Water Law enshrined such IWRM principles as decentralized water resources management and stakeholder participation as a part of the National Water Resources Policy. Since then Brazil has taken concrete steps to ensure that these principles are applied in practice, and hence it has met the Johannesburg requirement. In Uruguay, although the Constitution provides for stakeholder participation, decentralization and the basin approach in water management, wide scale implementation is still lacking.
See also Brazil and Uruguay for more contextual information
The Experience: Challenges and Solutions
Main Challenges
- Environmental impact of economic development
Rio Grande do Sul is the fourth richest state in Brazil (SEMA, 2007), attracting both investment and labour with a diversified economy based on crops (chiefly soybeans, wheat, rice and corn), livestock, leather and food processing, textiles, lumber, metallurgy, chemicals, and, since the 1990s, petrochemical products and telecommunications. On the Uruguayan side of the Lake Merín basin, the major sources of income are rice, livestock and forest products. Both sides also have tourism activity thanks to the rich ecology and beach resorts in the basin.
Until recently, the pampas and other areas with rich
biodiversity were relatively undisturbed, aside from
livestock grazing. However, in the last 20 years the
spread of irrigated and mechanized rice growing has
caused extensive land transformation and led to conflicts
over natural resources, while pollution from industry,
agriculture and human settlements has degraded the
water quality. Many species of animals,
especially birds, are threatened as the marshlands are
increasingly converted to grazing and cultivation
without any attempt to preserve wildlife. Among other
species threatened with extinction are the otter, the
coypu and the crocodile (UNESCO, 2008). Increased use
of waterways and future waterway development plans
might also have repercussions on ecosystems in the area.
- Poverty and hunger
Brazil has one of the stronger economies in Latin America, yet poverty is still a socioeconomic challenge: in 2006, over 30% of the population was poor. Since 2002, Brazil has helped lift some 6 million people out of extreme poverty (ECLAC, 2007). Nevertheless, the incidence of poverty remains daunting, especially in rural areas, where a key factor is extreme inequality of land tenure, notably in the semi-arid northeast.
In general almost 80% of the rural population –
about 30 million people – lives in poverty. Poor rural
communities face even harder challenges than the urban
poor due to inferior water supply and sanitation
coverage (IFAD, 2008). The situation in Uruguay stands
in some contrast to that of Brazil, with poverty affecting
18.5% of the population as of 2006. Similarly, as regards the
target in the Millennium Development Goals of reducing
by half the share of the population suffering from
hunger, Uruguay had met the target by 2003 while in
Brazil that same year 8% of the population was
undernourished.
Thus, poverty and basic water supply and sanitation
coverage are still of some concern in part of the Lake
Merín basin, although rising income from rice
cultivation, tourism and industry is alleviating the
situation to some extent.
To summarise, The Lake Merín basin is well endowed in freshwater
resources. Agriculture, industry, ecotourism and
waterway transport are helping boost the economy of
the basin, creating job opportunities and improving the
livelihoods of many, including the poor and
disadvantaged. However, these activities also contribute
to environmental degradation in the area, especially in
the absence of measures to ensure that regulations are
enforced. Climate change scenarios indicate risks to the
socio-economic well-being of people living in the basin,
mainly stemming from the likely impact on agriculture
and tourism. Uruguay is more vulnerable than Brazil to
the impact of climate change, as the area containing the
Lake Merín basin generates 70% of its GDP. Stronger
bilateral cooperation in the basin to improve integrated
management of water resources, alleviate poverty and
assure sustainability of ecosystems would be beneficial.
Results and Impact
Lessons for Replication
Testimonies and Stakeholder Perceptions
References
See also
Aquastat. 2000. Brazil country profile. Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization. http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/countries/brazil/index.stm (Accessed December 2008.)
Assessment of Impacts and Adaptation to Climate Change in Multiple
Regions and Sectors (AIACC). 2006. Adaptive responses for the mixed
crop/livestock production systems in the Argentinean-Uruguayan
Pampas (LA 27).
Chao, R., Macedo, E. and Batista, L. 2007. El Agua en Uruguay [Water in
Uruguay]. Asociación Cultivadores de Arroz: Revista [Rice Growers
Association Review], No. 48.
http://www.aca.com.uy/publicaciones/revista_48_agua_en_uruguay.htm
(Accessed December 2008.)
de Sherbinin, A. 2005. Remote Sensing in Support of Ecosystem Management
Treaties and Transboundary Conservation. Project on Remote Sensing
Technologies for Ecosystem Management Treaties, US Department of
State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific
Affairs Initiatives. http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/rstreaties/
AIAA6thWorkshop.pdf (Accessed December 2008.)
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). 2007.
Social Panorama of Latin America. Santiago de Chile, ECLAC/CEPAL.
http://www.eclac.cl/cgibin/
getProd.asp?xml=/publicaciones/xml/9/30309/P30309.xml&xsl=/dd
s/tpl-i/p9f.xsl&base=/tpl/top-bottom.xslt (Accessed November 2008.)
IFAD. 2008. Rural Poverty in Brazil. Rural Poverty Portal,
http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/web/guest/country/home/tags/brazil
(Accessed December 2008.)
Ministry of Housing, Territorial Planning and Environment. 2007. Program of
General Measures for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change in
Uruguay. Montevideo, Unidad de Cambio Climático [Climate Change
Unit], Dirección Nacional de Medio Ambiente [Environment
Department], Ministerio de Vivienda Ordenamiento Territorial y Medio
Ambiente.
Netto, O. 2005. Introduction of the Brazilian National Water Resources Plan.
(Management of transboundary water resources in Brazil). Lima,
International Symposium on Integrated Water Management in
Transboundary River Basins.
Serrentino, C. M. Forthcoming. Lake Merín Basin Case Study.
State Environment Secretariat (SEMA). 2007. Annual Report. SEMA, Porto
Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Steinmetz, S., Wrege, M. S., Herter, F. G. and Reisser Jr, C. 2007. Impacto das
mudanças climáticas na fruticultura de clima temperado e nas culturas
anuais em Terras Baixas. Paper presented at SEMA workshop on Rio
Grande do Sul no contexto das Mudanças Climáticas.
UNESCO. 2008. Station écologique de Taim (Rio Grande do Sul). World
Heritage Tentative Lists Database.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/42 (Accessed December 2008.)
World Health Organization (WHO)/United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
2008. Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation: Special Focus on
Sanitation. New York/Geneva, Joint Monitoring Programme for Water
Supply and Sanitation.
External Resources
The United Nations World Water Development Report 3
