La creciente demanda de agua potable para abastecer la industria hotelera en la costa pacífica costarricense ha llevado al sector turismo a buscar fuentes cada vez más alejadas, ocasionando tensión e incertidumbre en las comunidades locales por una futura escasez. Bajo un marco teórico de Ecología Política y Justicia Ambiental, este artículo caracteriza tres conflictos generados por el turismo residencial e inmobiliario en la provincia de Guanacaste, Costa Rica: Lorena (1998), Sardinal (2006) y Potrero (2014). En los tres casos, las comunidades utilizan la judicialización del conflicto como estrategia para asegurar su derecho al agua potable y a un ambiente sano. Se concluye que a pesar del aparente éxito, los escenarios de conflictividad continúan latentes y se recomienda una revisión profunda del modelo turístico que se está implementando. Las revisiones propuestas incluyen: la participación de las comunidades locales en la toma de decisiones relacionadas al agua, información libre y previa con los actores locales y una clasificación sobre los usos del agua con criterios y prioridades. | Increasing levels of tourism in Northern Pacific Costa Rica have led to a shortage in potable water that is disproportionately affecting local communities and straining ever distant hydrological resources. This results in three environmental conflicts: Lorena (1998), Sardinal (2006) and Potrero (2014). In response, the permanent habitants of Guanacaste have turned to political and judicial activism in order to assure their right to water and a healthy environment. Despite the apparent success, Political Ecology based analysis of these issues reveals latent conflicts that call for further revision of the tourism focused policies in the province. Suggested revisions include: participation of the local communities in the decision making related to water, free and previous information with local people and a rank of the water uses with priorities criteria.

The efficiency of a recirculation system for the cultivation of C. auratus, fed with natural and artificial diets was evaluated. The experiment consisted of four treatments with four replicates. The first two treatments used recirculation system and the last two static system. In the first and fourth treatment, animals were fed with brine shrimp biomass (50% CP), while in the second and third treatments a commercial flake ration (42% CP) was used. At the end of cultivation (60 days), water samples were taken from all experimental units and subjected to standard plate count for determining the density of mesophilic bacteria. Final weight (g), final length (cm), specific growth rate (% day -1) and weight gain (%) were significantly different (p | A eficiência de um sistema de recirculação para o cultivo de C. auratus, alimentados com dieta natural e artificial foi avaliada. O experimento consistiu de quatro tratamentos com quatro repetições. Os dois primeiros tratamentos utilizaram sistemas de recirculação e os dois últimos sistemas estáticos. No primeiro e quarto tratamento, os animais foram alimentados com biomassa de artêmia (PB 50%), enquanto nos tratamentos dois e três, com ração comercial em flocos (42% PB). Ao final do cultivo (60 dias), amostras de água foram coletadas em todas as unidades experimentais e submetidos a contagem padrão em placas para determinação da densidade de bactérias mesófilas. O peso final (g), com-primento final (cm), taxa de crescimento específico (% dia-1) e ganho de peso (%) foram signifi-cativamente diferentes (p

O presente trabalho em questão apresenta os custo dos recursos hídricos em Penaforte-CE e vantagens de se construir um poço no sedimento ao invés de um açude, comparando-se os custos dos metros cúbicos d’água disponíveis nestes mananciais, quando ambos recebem o mesmo investimento, nas mesmas condições de tempo e de financiamento e considerando-se, também, para cada manancial o devido custeio de operação. Desta forma, verificou-se que o custo do metro cúbico d’água do poço é apenas 11% em relação ao do açude. Além do mais, o poço apresenta as seguintes vantagens: oferta d’água permanente, independentemente de haver inverno; água sem maiores riscos de poluição / contaminação; maior volume de oferta; garantia de 100%; menor custo de tratamento, quando for o caso; economia com tratamento de doenças causadas por veiculação hídrica; e preservação das características ambientais, sem necessidade de uso de maiores áreas.

Groundwater/surface-water interaction is receiving increasing focus in Africa due to its importance to ecologic systems and sustainability. In South Africa’s 1998 National Water Act (NWA), water-use licenses, including groundwater, are granted only after defining the Reserve, the amount of water needed to supply basic human needs and preserve some ecological integrity. Accurate quantification of groundwater contributions to ecosystems for successful implementation of the NWA proves challenging; many of South Africa’s aquifers are in heterogeneous and anisotropic fractured-rock settings. This paper reviews the current conceptualizations and investigative approaches regarding groundwater/surface-water interactions in the context of South African policies. Some selected pitfall experiences are emphasized. The most common approach in South Africa is estimation of average annual fluxes at the scale of fourth-order catchments (∼500 km2) with baseflow separation techniques and then subtracting the groundwater discharge rate from the recharge rate. This approach might be a good start, but it ignores spatial and temporal variability, potentially missing local impacts associated with production-well placement. As South Africa’s NWA has already been emulated in many countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe and Kenya, the successes and failures of the South African experience dealing with the groundwater/surface-water interaction will be analyzed to guide future policy directions.

The electrolyzed water is a type of water with biocidal properties, fungicidal and sporicidal. Its effectiveness is caused by its activation which gives it a high oxidation capacity. Therefore, electrolyzed water becomes a very effective breaker of cell membrane of microorganisms. Although during its activation, hypochlorous acid is released, it is instantly stabilised, which guarantees the safety in handling and respect for the environment. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of electrolyzed water as drinking water on the presence of bacteria in the water consumed by cows and the microbiological quality of milk produced. Water samples collected from drinking electrolyzed water showed negative results for contamination by aerobic, total coliforms, E. coli and faecal streptococci. Data showed a significant decrease of somatic cell count, total bacteriology and coagulase positive count in milk from cows that had drunk electrolyzed water.

The urban environment has to be concerned with the integrated water resources management, which necessarily includes the concept of basin unity and governance.  The traditional urban water cycle framework, which includes water supply, sewerage and wastewater treatment services, is being replaced by a holistic and systemic concept, where water is associated with urbanism and sustainability policies. This global point of view cannot be ignored as new regulations demand systemic and environmental approaches to the administrations, for instance, in the management of urban drainage and sewerage systems. The practical expression of this whole cluster interactions is beginning to take shape in several countries, with the definition of Low Impact Development and Water Sensitivity Urban Design concepts. Intends to integrate this new strategic approach under the name: “Water Sensitive Urban Development” (WSUD). With WSUD approach, the current urban water systems (originally conceived under the traditional concept of urban water cycle) can be transformed, conceptual and physically, for an integrated management of the urban water system in new models of sustainable urban development. A WSUD implementing new approach to the management of pollution associated with stormwater in the urban water system is also presented, including advances in environmental regulations and incorporation of several techniques in Spain. | El medio urbano no es ajeno a la de gestión integrada del recurso hídrico, que incluye, necesariamente, el concepto de unidad de cuenca y de gobernanza. El tradicional concepto de ciclo del agua urbana, que incluye de un modo muy lineal los servicios de abastecimiento y saneamiento, debe ser sustituido por una visión más integral y sistémica, donde el agua se vincula con el planeamiento y el desarrollo urbano y con las políticas de sostenibilidad. Se puede hablar de sistema de agua urbana. Esta globalidad de acción no es algo de lo que podamos sustraernos, ya que la legislación cada vez más orienta a las administraciones a considerar aspectos sistémicos y ambientales a la hora de gestionar, por ejemplo, los sistemas de saneamiento y drenaje. La plasmación práctica de todo este conglomerado de interacciones ya toma forma en algunos países, en los que se comienza a hablar de “Low Impact Development” (LID) o “Water Sensitivity Urban Design” (WSUD). Se propone integrar este nuevo enfoque estratégico bajo la denominación: Desarrollo Urbano Sensible al Agua (DUSA). Con el impulso del enfoque DUSA, los actuales sistemas de agua urbana (concebidos originalmente bajo el concepto tradicional de ciclo de agua urbana) pueden transformarse, conceptual y físicamente, para una gestión integrada del sistema del agua urbana en los nuevos modelos de desarrollo urbanos sostenible.  Asimismo se presenta la aplicación del nuevo enfoque DUSA a la gestión de la contaminación asociada a las aguas pluviales en el sistema de agua urbana, incluyendo los avances en normativa e incorporación de técnicas en España.

Abstract: The Programa Água Doce-PAD(in English: Fresh Water Program) promoted by the Brazilian Federal Government under the coordinationof the Environmental Ministry, seeks to promote sustainable use of groundwater resources and provide potable water for human consumption in areas withcriticalwater scarcity in the Brazilian Semiarid region, through the use of the Reverse Osmosis Technique. The Program is guided by the following principles: community empowerment, environmental sustainability and technicalcapacity building. The methodology that led the Program to becomea success case was conceived in 2003, through a participatory process with the contribution of public Brazilian institutions such as: Federal University of Campina Grande-UFCG (Social Engagement Procedure); Brazilian Geologic Service-CPRM (Ground Water information), Brazilian Agriculture Research Corporation ?EMBRAPA (Methodology for the reuse of desalinated water concentrate), besides 10 Brazilian State ?s Governments and the civil society. The Program was launched in 2004.Ithas, presently,more than 460 installed Desalination Plants, which, together,can producea total of approximately 1.5 million liters (around 400,000 gallons) of potable water per day (considering a 8h/per dayproduction).It has,so far,benefited about 184,000 people in over 460 rural communities spread throughout the Brazilian semiarid region, ensuring safe water access to its residents. The program has already trained more than 1,000 people, including state technicians and operators of desalination systems. The Program contributes to improving the health and life quality of people in the semiarid regionas it takesinto account the naturaland socialpotential of each communitie, ensuring ways to address the vulnerabilities to which they are subjected becauseof climate variability. Social engagement is a mandatory aspect for the Program?s success. Local communities are stimulated to gain their independence by having, through the PAD methodology, their empowerment encouraged and demanded.The ultimate goal of the first large scaleplan is to take Desalination Systems to at least 1,300 communities throughout the Brazilian Semiaridregion. The Environmental Ministry is seeking to improve the systems with solar energy and automatized machinery,looking forward to improve local communities? independence.