O thick – biome and also morphoclimatic domain – is known by many as the “Brazil water tank”. And this nickname is not casual, as its area is home to springs or river beds from eight basins among the twelve that exist in the country, which reveals the socio-environmental importance of its compositions.
Two major geographic factors contribute for the Cerrado to present this environmental importance: position and relief. The biome is located in a central region of the Brazilian territory, which contributed to the fact that most of the country's hydrographic basins were concentrated in it. In addition, the present altitudes and the large number of springs mean that there is a good flow of water to other regions, helping in the distribution of water resources.
The São Francisco River, for example, has more than 90% of its sources located in the Cerrado, although almost 55% of the river's waters are found outside this biome. The basin of the Paraná and Paraguay rivers also has its origins located mainly in the areas of this important natural domain, which sends water even to the Amazon Basin.
Check out the list of the most important rivers that have sources in the Cerrado:
- Xingu River (Amazon Basin)
- Tocantins River (Tocantins-Araguaia Basin)
- Araguaia River (Tocantins-Araguaia Basin)
- São Francisco River (São Francisco Basin)
- Parnaíba River (Parnaíba Basin)
- Gurupi River (East Western Atlantic Basin)
- Jequitinhonha River (East Atlantic Basin)
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- Paraná River (Paraná Basin)
- Paraguay River (Paraguay Basin) – remembering that the Paraguay basin joins the Paraná basin and forms the River Plate Basin or Platinum Basin, also covering Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.
At Cerrado waters are also important for the supply of aquifers, mainly the Guarani Aquifer, which has a vast area in South America and most of it is located in the area of the morphoclimatic domain in question. Therefore, the maintenance of this important underground water reserve depends on the sustainability of this biome. Also, it is worth mentioning that the waters of the Pantanal they are also highly dependent on the Cerrado.
According to WWF Brasil, nine out of ten Brazilians consume electricity generated by water from the Cerrado, noting that even the Itaipu hydroelectric plant would not exist without the existing springs in the Planalto region Central. Thus, more than an important set of water resources, this domain also guarantees a good part of the country's hydroelectric potential.
Therefore, it is impossible to prepare any type of plan for the conservation of water resources in Brazil without establishing a plan for the preservation of the Cerrado biome, one of the most degraded in the country. In all, thousands and thousands of hectares were devastated, mainly during the 20th century, which has been compromising the continuity of the flow of the main rivers in Brazil.
By Me. Rodolfo Alves Pena
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
PENA, Rodolfo F. Alves. "Cerrado: Brazil's water tank"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/brasil/cerrado-caixa-dagua-brasil.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
geography of Brazil
See here the most important characteristics of the Cerrado, such as location, fauna, flora, climate, vegetation, aquifer potential, soil characteristics and devastation.
