The Guarani Aquifer Project: Lessons Learnt to an Aquifer Managment System

The Guarani Aquifer Project:
Lessons learnt to an aquifer
management system
Luiz Amore
GEF Third Biennial International
Waters Conference.
June, 21st
of 2005
GEF / WB / OASGEF / WB / OAS
GUARANI AQUIFER SYSTEM

Uses of Guarani System
Usage: 2-4 km3
/year (63 to 127 m3
/s)
Number of wells: 2600+
(500 cities)

Outcrops Fm. Serra Geral.
Ac. Guaraní (Fm. Botucatu)
Outcrops Fm. Serra Geral

Project Rationale and Objective
Rationale for intervention
Growing use and increasing
demand
Signs of scarcity and pollution in
transboundary and national Hot
Spots
Need to account for groundwater
in water resource planning and
management
Prevention is less expensive
Objective
Support Argentina, Brazil,
Paraguay and Uruguay to
jointly elaborate and
implement a coordinated
institutional framework for
managing the transboundary
Guarani Aquifer System for
current and future
generations.

Project components and expected results
Components
I. Improve knowledge base
on Guarani
II. Guarani management
framework
III. Participation, education &
communication
IV. Monitoring and
dissemination of results
V. Pilot projects in identified
Hot Spots
VI. Assessment of geothermal
energy, and
VII. Project coordination.
Main Outcomes
a) Multi-country agreement
on institutional and
technical framework
b) Functioning information
system and monitoring
network
c) Transboundary
Diagnostic Analysis
d) Strategic Action Program
e) Joint legal framework
proposal

important use and investigations
Hot Spot Ribeirão
Preto

Concordia / Salto Hot
Spot
termal usetermal use

Rivera / Santana do
Livramento Hot Spot
urbanized recharge areaurbanized recharge area

Itapúa Hot Spot -
Paraguay
deforestation and adeforestation and agricultural usegricultural use

Key Technical issues to be
addressed by the project
Identify flux and architecture of
the aquifer
Determines provincial, municipal
& local governments role
Identify areas of recharge and
discharge
Prepare strategic action plan to
prevent resource pollution and
over exploitation
Quantify recharge and discharge
and flow behavior
Establish quantitative targets to
prevent over exploitation and
landscape management practices
Evaluate geo-thermal potential Integrate groundwater into
energy plan for the region
Assess vulnerability and risk Introduce risk mitigation and
vulnerability reduction measures
Determine water balance at the
Guarani
Promote integrated water
resource management

 Argentina
 Decision making authority over water lies in provinces
 Existence of provincial laws on water resources (thermalism under
discussion)
 Limited information: 9 deep wells, undefined Guarani western border
 Brazil
 Decision making authority over groundwater lies in states
 Mineral, thermal and water bottling use governed by federal concession
regime
 National policy and state laws on water resources and groundwater (GW
commitee and CNRH acts)
 Considerable but dispersed information on groundwater (500 cities partially
or entirely supplied by the Guarani)
 Paraguay
 Unitary State
 Water resources law under discussion
 Limited information available
 more than 200 wells mainly for domestic supply
 Uruguay
 Unitary State
 Existence of water law and decrees related to thermal uses
 Considerable information available

Guarani Aquifer System Region: Institutional
Background

Technical Base to GroundwaterTechnical Base to Groundwater
ManagementManagement
Characterization of geo hydrodynamic parameters, quality,
level and flow of groundwater
Identification of the recharge and discharge areas and
compartments of the aquifer system
Development of mathematical models of geo hydrodynamic
behavior and risk analysis (vulnerability and potential pollutant
on local and regional scale)
Structuring of a network and an information system integrating
groundwater date base (quantity and quality parameters,
constructive aspects of wells, use and protection)

Groundwater Management RequirementsGroundwater Management Requirements
Implement and support monitoring network and an Information
System with all data related to exploitation;
Users database and public access to them;
Increase the resource knowledge;
Define priorities for exploitation and increase efficiency in a
planned development policies framework;
Define and to authorize maximum flow for exploitation and
levels;
Define and authorize location and distance between wells;
Decide on new wells construction;
Protect the environment, decreasing the impact of well
construction and improving a convenient waste water disposal;
Define protection perimeter and different exploitation areas;
Promote training, education and diffusion about hydrological
topics at different levels.

The project will support policy makers on:The project will support policy makers on:
 Formulating and harmonizing of riparian legal,
technical and institutional arrangements
 Mainstreaming best practices in groundwater
management into each country’s development
agenda
 Establishing interactions between management of
surface and groundwater under different aquifer
conditions
 The establishment of local management and
planning, especially at transboundary (hot spot)
areas

Guarani Aquifer TDA basic frameworkGuarani Aquifer TDA basic framework
c ACTUAL & POTENTIAL SITUATIONS
WITH LOCAL TRANSBOUNDARY
EFFECTS
POSSIBLE SITUATIONS WITH
SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS AT
CATCHMENT SCALE
• evaluation of incidence/ control of
natural groundwater contamination
(F, U, Rd, Rn) affecting use for
potable water supply
• contamination of potable waterwells
due to inadequate urban sanitation and
uncontrolled urban land-use
• definition of strategies for efficient
groundwater resource
development and sustainable
management
• assessment of aquifer pollution
vulnerability and appropriate
protection measures for aquifer
recharge areas
• wetland impact and river baseflow
reduction as a consequence of potential
intensive groundwater resource
development for agricultural irrigation
• deterioration in the quality and rate of
aquifer recharge as a result of extensive
changes in agricultural land use and
crop cultivation
the adjacent problems could grow if
regional agricultural policies and
markets favour the intensive and
extensive use of local soils and/or
groundwater resources -- but only if
current field investigations confirm (a)
the present ecological role of aquifer
discharge and (b) the hydraulic
continuity of the aquifer system in the
corresponding areas
• evaluation of economic and
efficient options for the use of the
aquifer’s geothermal resources
• reductions in the artesian and
geothermal characteristics of the aquifer
due to uncontrolled exploitation by
geothermal wells
APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF RESOLUTION
SAG-PS and CSDP in service of the
national and state organizations
involved
SAG-PS through intervention of
CSDP with the countries and local
institutions involved
CSDP in consultation with supra-
national organizations and with
support of the SAG-PS

Elements for the Development of theElements for the Development of the
Institutional BaseInstitutional Base
REGIONAL INTEGRATION
Support the integration of development and
protection policies for the aquifer in the countries
STATE / NATIONAL
REGULATION
Development of the basics for the
management of the groundwater and
possible integration with surface
waters
LOCAL
MANAGEMENT
Integration of the hydric
management policies
and use of the urban /
rural land

 University Fund under execution (until Oct 2005)
 Citizenship Fund under execution (until 2006)
 Created forums for dialogue
 Pilot local support committees and initial action plans
under implementation
 Main technical studies launched (transparency)
 Multi country project management system under
operation
 TDA/SAP process under preparation (transition to the
management phase)
 Qualification program launched to support GW involved
institutions
Achievements to date…

 Project of declaration of basics principles and action
guidelines for the Guarani Aquifer System is being
discussed in an Ad-Hoc Group of the Mercosur (since
July 2004)
 Strengthened commitment to jointly develop the
Guarani (e.g. SC, NCs, GS-GAS, political support
from national agencies…)
 Improvement of knowledge and participation of users
and policymakers alike
 Engaged Universities and NGOs
 Garnered international interest
Achievements to date.

 Managing transboundary groundwater has unique
complexities: difficult to visualize common issues, different
legal/institutional frameworks, international sensitivities
 Groundwater has to be focused to make possible the overall
water resource management at each level: local, sub national,
national and regional
 Management of groundwater requires strong cross-sector
collaboration and cooperation among national and sub-
national governments and other different Organizations
 Strategic communication is needed early in project
preparation
 Garner support at local level – i.e. local coordinators at Hot
Spots
 Transparency, adequate financial resources and timing are
critical elements in building participatory process..create
constituency..keep momentum
Lessons Learned

Challenges – Looking ahead
 Provide a catalytic input to the establishment of a
framework for an integrated water resources management
in the countries
 Ensure the financial and technical sustainability of the
monitoring and evaluation systems to be established by
the project
 Assist governments in harmonizing rules and regulations
at country level that govern the sustainable management
of the Guarani
 Maintain the framework and best practices to be
developed under the project in support of transboundary
management of groundwater, including conflict
resolution, at local level

Thank you
www.sg-guarani.orgwww.sg-guarani.org

The Guarani Aquifer Project: Lessons Learnt to an Aquifer Managment System

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

En vedette

En vedette (17)

Similaire à The Guarani Aquifer Project: Lessons Learnt to an Aquifer Managment System

Similaire à The Guarani Aquifer Project: Lessons Learnt to an Aquifer Managment System (20)

Plus de Iwl Pcu

Plus de Iwl Pcu (20)

The Guarani Aquifer Project: Lessons Learnt to an Aquifer Managment System

Notes de l'éditeur