The Brazilian water scenario is facing an alarming crisis, as revealed by a recent study of the University of São Paulo (USP). The research points out that more than half of the country’s rivers already has a significant reduction in water level, a problem that directly affects climate maintenance and sustainable use of this vital resource.
According to the study, 69% of the affected rivers are located in arid regions or areas with intense agricultural activity, where the use of groundwater for irrigation is a common practice. This situation is creating an imbalance in the hydrological cycle, with rivers losing volume to other deposits in an attempt to equalize water levels.
Impact on watershed
A worrying example is the São Francisco basin, where 61% of rivers have a significant potential for flow loss. This situation not only threatens water supply for human consumption, but also endangers various sectors of the economy that depend on these water resources.
Water scarcity has led many farmers to resort to the drilling of artesian wells as an alternative. The analysis of nearly 18,000 wells throughout the national territory revealed that 55% of them were drilled below the surfaces of nearby streams, which may further aggravate the problem of reducing river levels.
Experts warn that climate change are affecting all elements of the hydrological cycle. Changes in precipitation patterns can directly impact the reload rate of aquifers by intensifying the water crisis. This scenario demands urgent actions for sustainable management of water resources in Brazil, considering that the country concentrates 12% of freshwater on the planet.
This content was originally published in COP30: Low level of rivers worries experts on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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