The Environmental The Environmental Protection and Protection and Sustainable Sustainable Development of the Development of the Guarani Aquifer Guarani Aquifer System Proje System Proje c c t t Luiz Amore Luiz Amore Second Biennial GEF International Waters Second Biennial GEF International Waters Conference Conference September 25-29, 2002 Dalian,China September 25-29, 2002 Dalian,China GEF/World GEF/World Bank/OAS Bank/OAS Argentin Argentin a Brazil Brazil Paraguay Paraguay Uruguay Uruguay USDE
Transcript
The Environmental The Environmental Protection and Sustainable Protection and Sustainable Development of the Guarani Development of the Guarani Aquifer System ProjeAquifer System Projecctt
Luiz AmoreLuiz AmoreSecond Biennial GEF International Waters ConferenceSecond Biennial GEF International Waters Conference
September 25-29, 2002 Dalian,ChinaSeptember 25-29, 2002 Dalian,China
Guarani Aquifer System: Location and Characteristics
The Guarani Aquifer System: Transboundary Distribution
Issue / Countries Argentina Brazil Paraguay Uruguay
SAG (km2) 225,500 839,800 71,700 45,000
Geographic division of the SAG (%)
3.86.1
71
19.1
National territory covered by SAG (%)
25
18
106
Aquifer Uses: Available Information – to be evaluated
urban supply
industrialrecreational
rural
Why the need for a Transboundary Project?
Natural subsurface paths of groundwater flow intersect international boundaries(recharge in one country and discharge/wells in another)
Lack of legal/institutional framework for transboundary aquifer management
Why Innovative ?
• First GEF Project on
Transboundary Groundwaters
• Aquifer resources perspective (e.g. Energy)
• Preventive project for a strategic resource
Status of the aquifer Abundance of water in general Growing uses Scarcity in transboundary and national Hot Spots Pollution in transboundary and national Hot Spots Pollution in recharge areas – extent to be investigated
Where to Go ?
Managing People (Water and Land Uses) Managing Water / Aquifer Resources
Argentina Decision making authority over water lies with the provinces Lack of national water resources law Limited information available: 9 deep wells, undefined GAS western border
Brazil Decision making authority over groundwater lies with the states Mineral, thermal and bottled water under fed. concession regime Existence of federal and state laws on water resources Considerable info available but dispersed: 500 cities partially or entirely
supplied by the GAS
Paraguay Unitary country Lack of water resources law Limited information available: 200 wells mainly for domestic water supply
Uruguay Unitary country Existence of water law and decrees related to the GAS Considerable info available: 135 wells for public water supply, irrigation and
thermal tourism
Guarani Aquifer System Region: Institutional Background
All Countries
Transboundary issues under responsibility of National Gov. Plata Basin Agreement since the 1960ies MERCOSUR (South American Common Market) support
Challenges
Challenge: what kind of treaty in the future? Should there be a treaty at all, given that management is so decentralized?
Allocation rules to be developed in Hot Spots? Demand management ?
Special characteristics of Guarani Aquifer System management
Several countries
Decentralized actors in a large area who use the aquifer and/or pollute its water
High costs of monitoring, enforcement and sanctions
Chance to develop a permit system for future wells and monitoring of use
Need risk assessment (vulnerability/pollution) to determine management priorities
Need support from states/provinces and municipalities in management implementation – big challenge
Objective:
Support Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay to jointly elaborate and implement a coordinated institutional framework for managing and preserving the transboundary Guarani Aquifer System for current and future generations.
The Guarani Aquifer System ProjectThe Guarani Aquifer System Project
The Guarani Aquifer System ProjectThe Guarani Aquifer System Project
4-year 4-year implementation implementation
phasephase
Components:
I. Expansion and consolidation of the current knowledge base of the GAS
II. Joint development and implementation of the Guarani management framework
III. Public participation, education and communication
IV. Project monitoring and dissemination of results
V. Implementation of pilot projects in identified Hot Spots
Proposal for joint Proposal for joint legal frameworklegal framework
Special features of project design:Combine diagnostic and assessment with
action by using a two-track approach:– assess the overall resource– design and implement local pilot
management projects in “Hot Spots”
Decentralized GIS through webbased interface, using focal institutions in each country
Additional university fund for GAS research and training
The Guarani Aquifer System ProjectThe Guarani Aquifer System Project
Project budget: $26.7 million
GEF $13.4 millionCountry governments: $12.1 million(IAEA, OAS, German and Dutch Gov., communities): $1.2 million
The Guarani Aquifer System ProjectThe Guarani Aquifer System Project
Execution
Donors SC GEF/WB
Coordination Group
GS/OAS
NPEU
Argentina
Direction
Operation
NPEU
Brazil
NPEU
Paraguay
NPEU
Uruguay
SPEU
GO
SPEU
MG
SPEU
MS
SPEU
MT
SPEU
PR
SPEU
RS
SPEU
SC
SPEU
SP
Federal
Organisms
Institutional set-up for implementation
Project Preparation Accomplishments: a platform for action
Cooperation between all four Guarani Aquifer countries enhancing steps to regional integration: Preliminary Aquifer Assessment;
Cooperation between institutions within countries, including line ministries, foreign affairs ministries, federal/national and state/provincial institutions with sustained involvement;
Developing basin agreements in Argentina, launching of the Brazilian Program on Groundwater and implementation of GW acts at national/subnational levels in Brazil (3 states and 2 national), mobilization towards national water resources law in Paraguay, and creation of a Thermal Advisory Committee in Uruguay;
Involvement of universities, NGOs, indigenous peoples and private sector on information dissemination, generating significant awareness in society;
Approval of the schematic map of the GAS by the SC;
International awareness and support from international agencies and donors.
The institutional arrangements for project preparation have proven adequate for stakeholder integration in the policy formulation, but expectation is still growing
The nature of the groundwater resource, diplomatic complexity, legal weaknesses, institutional dispersion and the need for systematic technical knowledge turn the Project very complex
The participation process needs transparency, adequate financial resources and timing
Project success depends on the successful interaction of different aspects(institutional, political, cultural and technical)
Importance of groundwater resources
Lessons Learned
Main Challenges and OpportunitiesManagement at the local level, specially due to the
decentralized nature of the groundwater resource and the large area to be covered
Keeping political and societal momentum going – although the Guarani Aquifer System is “invisible” and there is no crisis
Development of an adequate transboundary management scheme, with low transaction costs
Implementing country-oriented GW management tools, including financing mechanisms for sustainability of investments
Linkage to MERCOSUR for continuity?
Main Project Staff
Organization of American States-General Secretariat (International Executing Agency): Jorge Rucks ([email protected]); Roberto Kirchheim ([email protected])
Argentina - Ministerio de Infraestructura y Vivienda, Subsecretaría de Recursos Hídricos (Water Resouces Subsecretariat): Mr. Víctor Pochat ([email protected])
Brazil - Agência Nacional de Águas (National Water Agency): Mr. Jerson Kelman ([email protected] and www.ana.gov.br)
Paraguay - Dirección General de Protección y Conservación de Recursos Hídricos, Secretaria del Ambiente (Environment Secretariat): Mr. Celso Velázquez ([email protected])
Uruguay - Ministério de Transportes y Obras Públicas, Dirección Nacional de Hidrografia (National Hydrografy Directory): Mr. Luis Enrique Loureiro ([email protected])
