As of 2014, Brazil began to experience the first major outbreaks of what could be the biggest water crisis in its history. With a serious problem of drought and also of natural resource management, the country has been showing low levels in its reservoirs at times of the year when they tend to be much fuller. This occurrence, in a way, represents a great contradiction, as Brazil is considered the greatest water power on the planet.
But if there is a lot of water available in Brazil, why is water missing?
To understand the issue of water scarcity in Brazil, it is first necessary to understand some geographic issues concerning the national territory.
First, although the country has the largest water reserves per territorial unit on the planet, it should be noted that they are unevenly distributed in the Brazilian geographic space. The North region, notably the Amazon River Basin, is the one with the highest concentration of water in the country, both because of the river in question and because of the presence of the Alter do Chão Aquifer, the largest in water volume.
Second, you need to understand the demographic issue. Most of the Brazilian population does not reside in the points where water is more available abundant, as there is a very high population concentration in the Southeast and Northeast regions, respectively. Interestingly, these are the regions whose states have the longest history of drought and water scarcity over time.
This panorama contributes considerably to the problem in question, given that the exploitation of water resources in the Amazon is totally unfeasible due to the high transport costs and also the imminent natural impacts, which can compromise water reserves then available.
But that's not all for understanding water scarcity in Brazil. There are also questions regarding the use and management of water resources in the country.
According to the Federal Constitution of 1988, state governments are responsible for managing and administering the capture and distribution of water, although the federal government also needs to act through the provision of public funds and works interstates. In this sense, some governments, for administrative or even political reasons, may have some flaws, especially with regard to planning in the management of water resources.
In Brazil, currently, the state that has been experiencing the greatest difficulties is Sao Paulo, which has been attracting a great deal of media attention, as the capital of São Paulo, which is the most populated area in the country, is the protagonist of this scenario. In that case, a total drought could affect the lives of tens of millions of people. O Cantareira System reservoir, the main one in the city, has been presenting successive record lows in its volume, which makes the context in question even more unfavorable.
In addition to the poor distribution of water resources and management problems in the national territory, the problem of water scarcity in Brazil also permeates the recent dry that have been affecting the country. In recent years, especially in 2014, rainfall levels were much lower than expected, therefore, reservoirs across the country have maintained historic lows, especially in the region Southeast.
It is worth remembering, after all, that the lack of water in Brazil does not only affect the availability of treated water in homes. Industries and agriculture (the main consumers) are the sectors that may suffer most from the problem, which can have impacts on the economy as a whole - remembering that most of the country's industries are located in the region Southeast. In addition, it should be noted that the main energy mode in the country is the hydroelectric, which has as its negative point precisely the dependence on availability, so that an extreme drought can lead the country to a new energy rationing, just like what happened in 2001.
By Me. Rodolfo Alves Pena
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/escassez-agua-no-brasil.htm
