Artigo (especialização) - Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Centro de Tecnologia, Curso de Especialização para Gestores Regionais de Recursos Hídricos, RS, 2004. | The use of the environmental resources does not have its price recognized in the market and its economic value appears when its high use disturbs the society production and consumption (well-being) level. Regarding the water, the users do not pay by the caught volume. The current expenses related to the water are restricted to the catchment and watering. The actual laws institute the water use charging instrument. This fact refers to the water price studies, which is a hard task and still with few results. At Rio Grande do Sul, according to the Law N. 10350/94 orientation this value is linked to the actions previewed by the Basin Projects. This paper aims to play the water use value, considering Santa Maria River Basin, and its base is the estimative of the parcel related to the feasibility of dams building to provide the expansion of the rice crop, which is the main activity in the considered area. An economic analysis was accomplished using the interests practiced by this kind of structural building financial agencies, considering various horizons (number of parcels) to the building payment. The values practiced elsewhere the water use charging is occurring and the ones found in this research were compared. It was verified that the values were within a mean of practiced values in the rest of the country, like the ones charged at Ceará and also at Paraíba do Sul River Basin. | O uso de recursos ambientais não tem muitas vezes seu preço reconhecido no mercado, seu valor econômico existe na medida em que seu uso altera o nível de produção e consumo (bem-estar) da sociedade. No caso particular da água, os usuários não pagam pelo volume captado. Seus gastos atuais relacionados com a água estão restritos aos dispêndios com captação e rega. As normas legais vigentes instituem o instrumento de cobrança pelo uso das águas. Este fato remete aos estudos de valoração da água, tarefa difícil e ainda com poucos resultados. Segundo a orientação da Lei 10350/94, no Rio Grande do Sul esse valor está vinculado às ações previstas nos Planos de Bacia. Este trabalho tem por objetivo ensaiar a valoração para o uso da água, no âmbito da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Santa Maria, tendo como base à estimativa da parcela referente à viabilização da construção de barragens para a expansão da lavoura orizícola, que é a atividade predominante na região considerada. Realizou-se uma análise econômica, utilizando-se juros que são praticados pelos organismos financiadores deste tipo de obra estrutural, considerando diversos horizontes (número de parcelas) para o pagamento das obras. Compararam-se os valores praticados nos locais onde já está em vigor a cobrança pela água e os encontrados neste trabalho. Verificou-se que os valores encontram-se dentro de uma média de valores praticados no restante do país, como aqueles cobrados no Estado do Ceará e também na Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Paraíba do Sul.

Climate change is at the top of the development agenda in Central America. This region, together with the Caribbean, is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change in Latin America. Climate change is manifesting itself through higher average temperatures and more frequent droughts that result in higher water stress, and through the rising frequency of extreme weather events such as tropical storms, hurricanes, floods and landslides, all of which pose significant challenges in the rural water supply and sanitation sector. The paper starts with a review of the historic data on temperature and precipitation trends in Central America and particularly at the regional level in Nicaragua. The data reveal a clear trend of the growing climate variability, increased water stress for crops, and greater frequency of extreme weather events. The rising intensity and frequency of ex-treme weather events is among the most critical risks to the region's development agenda, and they translate into high economic losses. This paper examines the impacts and implications of potential climate change on water resources in Nicaragua and makes key recommendations to integrate climate change and rural water supply and sanitation policies and programs in a way that increase resilience to current and future climate conditions. | 0

Theaquatic insects have been used to evaluate water quality of aquatic environments.The population of aquatic insects and the water quality of the area were characterized according to the natural and human alterations present in the study site. During the monthly-survey, pH, DO, temperature, water level, DBO, PO4 and NO3 were measured. Biological indexes (abundance, species richness and the BMWP-CR) were used to evaluate the water quality. No relation between environmental and aquatic insects was detected. Temporal and spatial differences attributed to the flow events (temporal) and the presence of Peñas Blancas reservoir (spatial). In the future, the investigations in Peñas Blancas watershed need to be focused on determining the real influence of the flows, sediment release and the possible water quality degradation because of agriculture activities. | The aquatic insects have been used to evaluate water quality of aquatic environments.The population of aquatic insects and the water quality of the area were characterized according to the natural and human alterations present in the study site. During the monthly-survey, pH, DO, temperature, water level, DBO, PO4 and NO3 were measured. Biological indexes (abundance, species richness and the BMWP-CR) were used to evaluate the water quality. No relation between environmental and aquatic insects was detected. Temporal and spatial differences attributed to the flow events (temporal) and the presence of Peñas Blancas reservoir (spatial). In the future, the investigations in Peñas Blancas watershed need to be focused on determining the real influence of the flows, sediment release and the possible water quality degradation because of agriculture activities.

Presenta: un proyecto de desarrollo para abastecimiento de agua potable en la ciudad capital, buscando solucion a la escasez. El Servicio de Acueductos y Alcantarillados ha venido efectuando varios estudios entre ellos el estudio sobre el rio Grande o Choluteca como solucion optima al desabastecimiente de agua de la ciudad de Tegucigalpa. El proyecto tiene como objetivo principal satisfacer la demanda actual de los abonados, extender la cobertura de servicios hasta nuevo usuarios y satisfacer la demanda creciente hasta despues del ano 2000; paralelamente se estaria manejando la salud de la poblacion, al sustituir fuentes de calidad marginal de abastecimiento de agua de alta calidad.

La población de insectos acuáticos y la calidad del agua fueron caracterizadas tomando en cuenta las alteraciones humanas y naturales en el área de estudio. Durante los muestreos mensuales, el pH, OD, temperatura, nivel del agua, DBO, PO4 y NO3 fueron medidos. Los índices biológicos (abundancia, riqueza de especies y el BMWP-CR) se evaluaron para determinar la calidad del agua. No se detectaron relaciones entre las variables ambientales y los insectos acuáticos, pero las diferencias espaciales y temporales en la abundancia y riqueza fueron asociadas con las crecidas del río (temporal) y a la presencia del embalse Peñas Blancas (espacial). En el futuro las investigaciones en la cuenca Peñas Blancas deben de ser dirigidas a determinar la magnitud de la influencia de los caudales, liberación de sedimentos y la posible degradación de la calidad del agua por efluentes de aguas servidas que se lleguen a ubicar en la cuenca.<br>Aquatic insects and water quality in Peñas Blancas watershed and reservoir. The aquatic insects have been used to evaluate water quality of aquatic environments. The population of aquatic insects and the water quality of the area were characterized according to the natural and human alterations present in the study site. During the monthly-survey, pH, DO, temperature, water level, DBO, PO4 and NO3 were measured. Biological indexes (abundance, species richness and the BMWP-CR) were used to evaluate the water quality. No relation between environmental and aquatic insects was detected. Temporal and spatial differences attributed to the flow events (temporal) and the presence of Peñas Blancas reservoir (spatial). In the future, the investigations in Peñas Blancas watershed need to be focused on determining the real influence of the flows, sediment release and the possible water quality degradation because of agriculture activities. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (2): 635-654. Epub 2011 June 01.