THE platinum basin is formed by rivers located in the following countries:
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Bolivia
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
It is an important basin for integration between these territories, in addition to supplying millions of people with water and food (fish and agricultural irrigation).
More than 40% of this basin is on Brazilian soil, which makes our country an important figure in the care and preservation of rivers that form it.
Read more: Hydrographic basins - part of the relief supplied by a river and its tributaries
Platinum basin features
Considered as a form of integration between the countries that comprise it, the Platinum basin is of considerable importance for the South America, both at an environmental and economic level, as these rivers are widely used for the flow of production from countries that have no outlet to the ocean, such as Bolivia and Paraguay.
In terms of area of occurrence, this basin occupies approximately 3,140,000 km², of which 45% are on Brazilian soil, in some states of the Center-South:
- Mato Grosso
- Mato Grosso do Sul
- Paraná
- Santa Catarina
Is it over there it is also known as the Prata Basin, due to the Rio da Prata, the mouth of the Paraná river, the second largest in extension in South America. Thereby, this basin is the second largest in this part of the continent. and it has rivers of the most varied aspects: from navigable rivers, in areas of flat land, to rivers with high hydroelectric potential, in areas of reliefs accented. Some rivers, along their course, have both characteristics, such as the Paraná river.
The name Platinum comes from the countries that make up Platinum America — Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. These have, in common, the river regime of the Rio da Prata, named this way by the Spaniards even in the colonial era, when the river offered large quantities of this ore. Although they are not from Platinum America, Bolivia and Brazil are part of the basin, as they share borders with the other three countries and, also, enjoy the natural benefits of the rivers in the region.
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Rivers and basins that form the Platinum basin
Most of the rivers that form this basin are born in Brazil. The platinum bowl can be subdivide into three:
- Paraná Basin
- Paraguay Basin
- Uruguay Basin
At Paraná Basin, the main river is what gives it its name. The Paraná River, the second largest in South America, rises from the Grande and Paranaíba tributaries, close to the states of Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul. It is also the natural border between Brazil and Paraguay.
Another important river in this basin is the tiete, São Paulo river which, with the Paraná river, forms the Tietê-Paraná waterway, an important agricultural outlet for the production of sugarcane, grains and consumer goods in central-southern Brazil. It is considered the waterway of the Mercosur (Southern Common Market), which makes it of international importance.
O Paraguay River, which meets the Paraná River, forms the basin that bears its name. This river is born on Brazilian soil, in the Pantanal region of Mato Grosso do Sul, in addition to having Argentine and Bolivian tributaries, such as the Bermejo River.
already the Uruguay river rises from the confluence of the Brazilian rivers Canoas and Pelotas, the latter being the natural border between Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. An interesting fact is that the entire Uruguay River marks the border between the country of the same name and Argentina. Along the course of this river, there are energy production in Binational Hydroelectric Plant of Salto Grande, which supplies energy to the two countries mentioned.
See more: Brazil's hydrographic basins – importants reservoirs of drinking water in the world
Importance of the Platinum Basin
The Platinum basin is of great importance in the region. O water supply from some Brazilian states passes through it, such as Paraná and São Paulo, the most populous in Brazil. Furthermore, the Paraná Basin, part of the Platinum Basin, encompasses the most industrialized area in the country, serving as a natural resource for regional industries, in addition to agricultural irrigation.
For neighboring countries, especially Paraguay, this basin is essential for the survival of the population due to two factors: a energy production (almost 90% of what is consumed in the country) and the flow of production through waterway on the Paraguay river, since there is no exit to the sea. This factor is strategic in local geopolitics and was the result of armed conflicts, such as the Paraguay War, which involved Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay x Paraguay, in the 1860s.
Like water resource and as the second largest in South America, the basin in question is fundamental for the populations involved. Its area of occurrence covers large urban and industrial agglomerations, being considered the largest producer of goods and services and also where there is the highest population concentration in this area continental.
For Brazil, this basin represents a huge gain, as it is where the largest hydroelectric plant in the country is located., a fact that deserves attention on the part of environmental policies for the preservation and conservation of the natural resources involved there.
Platinum Basin Hydroelectric Power Plants
there is an great hydroelectric potential in the Platinum basin. This is due to the rugged terrain in the region of São Paulo, Paraná and the border with Paraguay. The rivers in this location have interesting gaps for the generation of hydraulic power, an important factor for the construction of a hydroelectric plant.
It is on the Brazil-Paraguay border that the largest plant in America and the second largest in the world is located: the Itaipu Binational Hydroelectric Power Plant. To give you an idea, this plant produced, in 2016, more than 100 million MWh (Megawatts-hour), a world production record.
It produces energy for Brazil and Paraguay, which does not consume all of its share. According to data from the plant itself, 11.3% of Brazilian energy comes from Itaipu. The other 88.7% are offered to Paraguay, which, in some periods, does not consume all this production, generating a surplus.
This surplus is purchased by the Brazilian government for the country's population, something that benefits the Paraguayan side so much, due to the money from the sale, as well as the Brazilian side, providing energy to a large portion of the inhabitants of the center-south region, the richest from the country.
There are, along this basin, other plants, such as:
- Manso Hydroelectric Power Plant
- Itá Hydroelectric Power Plant
- Foz do Chapecó Hydroelectric Power Plant
- Furnas Hydroelectric Power Plant
By Attila Matthias
Geography teacher
