O semiárido nordestino é caracterizado por ser uma região de altas temperaturas e chuvas irregulares durante o ano, em que a deficiência de recursos hídricos é o principal fator limitante da produção agrícola. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade das águas superficiais e subterrâneas para irrigação na região Centro Sul, Ceará. As amostras de água foram realizadas em 23 pontos distintos, sendo oito representativos de águas superficiais e quinze de águas subterrâneas, compreendendo as cidades de Jucás, Cariús e Quixelô. O período de coleta ocorreu de abril a junho de 2010 e as análises foram efetuadas no Laboratório de Solos, Águas e Tecidos Vegetais do IFCE Campus Iguatu. Os parâmetros investigados foram: cálcio, magnésio, sódio, potássio, cloreto, carbonato, bicarbonato, sulfato, condutividade elétrica e a relação de adsorção de sódio. Utilizou-se o software Qualigraf, através do diagrama de Piper, para comparar e classificar distintos grupos de água relativamente aos íons dominantes. Os resultados mostraram que as fontes subterrâneas apresentaram maior risco de salinidade e sodicidade quanto ao uso na irrigação e, de acordo com o Diagrama de Piper, predominaram as águas sódicas com 87,0%, quando se consideram os cátions e as cloretadas com 78,3% quanto aos ânions. | The semiarid region is characterized as a region of high temperatures and as well as high temporal and spatial variability of rainfall. The deficiency of water resources is the main limiting factor in agricultural production. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of surface and groundwater for irrigation in South Central, Ceará, Brazil. Water samples were taken at 23 different points, eight representative of surface and underground waters and fifteen from the cities of Jucás, Cariús and Quixelô. The collection period was from April to June 2010 and analysis were performed at the Laboratory of Soil, Water and Plant Tissue of IFCE Iguatu Campus. The parameters investigated were: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, carbonate, bicarbonate, sulphate, electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio. The software Qualigraf was used to perform the classification of samples through the Piper diagram to compare and classify different groups of waters in relation to the dominant ions. The results showed that the sources had higher risk of groundwater salinity and sodicity for use in irrigation and according to the Piper diagram sodic waters prevailed with 87.0% when considering the cations and the 78.3% as choride when anions were considered.

Este trabalho foi desenvolvido em ambiente protegido objetivando avaliar o desempenho de cultivares de alface em condições de salinidade. O delineamento utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, e os tratamentos foram distribuídos em esquema fatorial 5 x 5, com cinco cultivares de alface (Mônica SF31, Grandes Lagos 659, Veneranda, Folha Roxa Quatro Estações e Stella) e cinco níveis de salinidade de água (0,5; 1,5; 2,5; 3,5 e 4,5 dS m-1) e três repetições. As plantas foram colhidas aos 35 dias após o transplantio e avaliados as principais características morfofisiológicas de crescimento: número de folhas, área foliar, comprimento do caule, massa fresca e massa seca das plantas. Verificou-se efeito significativo dos fatores isolados e da interação, para todas as características de crescimento. O maior desempenho foi obtido na cultivar Folha Roxa Quatro Estações. O número de folhas, a área foliar e a fitomassa da parte aérea, foram reduzidos linearmente com o aumento da salinidade, sendo os maiores valores obtidos nas cultivares Folha Roxa Quatro Estações e Stella. | This study was carried out in greenhouse to evaluate the performance of different cultivars of lettuce under saline conditions. The experimental design was a completely randomized in factorial scheme, with five cultivars of lettuce (Mônica SF31, Grandes Lagos 659, Veneranda, Folha Roxa Quatro Estações e Stella) and five levels of water salinity (0.5 , 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 dS m-1) and three replications. The plants were harvested at 35 days after transplanting and the main morphophysiological growth parameters, that is, the number of leaves, leaf area, stem length, fresh weight and dry weight of plants were evaluated. Significant effect of the isolated factors and of the interaction for all parameters was found. The best performance was obtained in cultivar Folha Roxa Quatro Estações. The number of leaves, leaf area and biomass of shoots were reduced linearly with increasing salinity, with higher values in cultivars Folha Roxa Quatro Estações and Stella.

Com o presente trabalho objetivou-se estudar os efeitos da irrigação com águas salinas em um solo cultivado com melão a evolução da salinidade e reação do solo. O experimento foi conduzido na Fazenda Santa Júlia, município de Mossoró, RN, em dois plantios consecutivos, no período de 2001 a 2002. As plantas de melão (Cucumis melo L. cv. AF646) foram irrigadas com água de salinidade 0,6 (testemunha); 1,9; 3,2 e 4,5 dS m-1 durante todo o ciclo (70 dias) e de forma incremental, em três fases de desenvolvimento do meloeiro (1-30, 31-50, 51-70 dias após a semeadura - DAS). O delineamento experimental adotado foi em blocos ao acaso, com 15 tratamentos e quatro repetições. A salinidade e o pH do solo foram medidos no início e aos 30, 50 e 70 DAS, em amostras de solo coletadas nas camadas de 0-15, 15-30 e 30-45 cm. Observou-se maior acúmulo de sais no solo na camada superficial (até 15 cm) em todos os níveis de salinidade e que a utilização de águas de maior salinidade aumentou a salinidade média no perfil do solo. Os valores médios de pH estiveram dentro da faixa ótima de absorção de nutrientes requerida para a cultura do melão, com pequena variação entre os tratamentos estudados. | This work aimed to study the effects of irrigation with saline waters in an area cultivated with melon on soil salinity and pH. The experiment was conducted in the Santa Julia Farm, Mossoró city, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, during the years 2001 to 2002. Water with different salinity levels (0.6; 1.9; 3.2 and 4.5 dS m-1) was used throughout the cycle and in incremental way in three periods of melon development, forming 15 treatments, arranged in randomized blocks with four replications. The salinity was measured at 0, 30, 50 and 70 days after sowing in soil samples collected in layers of 0-15, 15-30 and 30-45 cm. There was greater accumulation of salts in the surface layer (up to 15 cm) in all salinity levels and the use of more saline water produced higher average salinity in the profile. The average values of pH were within the range of optimal absorption of nutrients required by melon.

This SSHRC and Pacific Leaders funded thesis summarizes participatory action research conducted in El Salvador between January 2008 and April 2009. This research resulted in a $355,000 proposal to the Canadian International Development Agency for a sustainable agriculture research and education centre in canton Agua Blanca, Morazán, El Salvador. The project is proposed by Canadian NGO, Rainbow of Hope for Children, in partnership with Salvadoran NGO, Fundahmer. Fundahmer owns 9.8 hectares of land in Agua Blanca. The researcher analysed practices at an existing Rainbow agriculture project in Izalco, and identified options for Agua Blanca by defining project goals and objectives, conducting a risk assessment, describing proposed centre activities, quantifying beneficiaries, assessing funding requirements, and developing performance measures. Funding was rejected, citing six sections that required additional information for second submission: sector and regional context, sustainability, gender, beneficiaries, performance measures, and environmental impacts. Seven recommendations are included to move project forward.

En 80% de las regiones productoras de trigo de temporal hay deficiencias de humedad, por lo que la disponibilidad de agua y la eficiencia en su uso son los factores más importantes, para mejorar la rentabilidad del cultivo, y más aún, cuando se prevé que gran parte de México, en los próximos años, enfrentará temporales más escasos por el calentamiento global. La siembra de trigo en camas, con y sin microcuencas, ha sido ideada para una captación efectiva del agua de lluvia, que permite mayor disponibilidad de humedad del suelo ayudando a incrementar el rendimiento de este cereal. En 2008 y 2009, se evaluaron seis variedades de trigo y tres sistemas de siembra, en plano y en camas con y sin microcuencas. Los resultados indicaron que la siembra en camas, con o sin microcuencas, incrementó el rendimiento promedio del cultivo hasta 29% (728 kg ha-¹), debido quizá a que permitió una mayor disponibilidad de humedad de suelo en etapas críticas de desarrollo del cultivo. La siembra en camas con microcuencas aumentó el número de espigas * m² y número de granos * m². La variedad Rebeca F2000 superó en rendimiento (3 680 kg ha-¹) a las demás variedades en las dos modalidades en camas. En trigo la siembra en camas con microcuencas es una estrategia, que permite reducir los efectos del déficit hídrico y consecuentemente del cambio climático, gracias a que permite una mayor conservación y disponibilidad de humedad del suelo. | In 80% of the wheat producing regions under rainfed conditions, there are moisture deficiencies; so, water availability and, the efficiency in its use are the main factors to improve the crop's profitability and, especially when in the coming years is expected that most of Mexico will face limited precipitations due to global warming. The wheat crop in planting beds with and without micro-watersheds has been designed for effective capture of rainwater, which allows greater availability of soil moisture, helping to increase this cereal yielding. In 2008 and 2009, six varieties of wheat and three planting systems were evaluated, in regular conditions, beds, with and without micro-watersheds. The results indicated that, planting beds, with or without micro-watersheds, increased the average crop yield up to 29% (728 kg ha-¹), perhaps because it allowed a greater availability of soil moisture at critical stages of the crop's development. Planting beds with micro-watersheds increased the number of spikes per m² and, the number of grains per m². The Rebeca F2000 variety outperformed (3 680 kg ha-¹) the other varieties in the two modalities in planting beds. In wheat, planting beds with micro-watersheds is a strategy that reduces the effects of drought-stress and, consequently climate change by allowing greater conservation and availability of soil moisture.

The new water policy by the Mexican government, implemented for almost two decades, has among its main aspects water management by basins and through Basin Councils. In the official discourse, there is an emphasis in that this public policy promotes the participation of users in water decision-making, and that this in turn leads to an integral water management in the basins. Here, we analyze the legal framework in these aspects, in contrast with the discourse and the processes that take place in the Valle de México Basin Council (Consejo de Cuenca del Valle de México, CCVM), with an emphasis in the type of participation that this framework allows for agricultural users of raw sewage waters in Valle del Mezquital, in the state of Hidalgo. To construct the theoretic-conceptual proposal, we took up contributions by political ecology, and environmental history and justice. We carried out a broad literature review and field work was performed; in the latter, there were exploratory-descriptive tours and open interviews were applied to key informants. Research shows that the legal framework in water issues, far from fostering a broad social participation in decision-making, as is suggested by the official discourse, constitutes one of the main instruments used to give continuity to the historical centralization of the resource, with social and environmental consequences that are inconsistent with sustainable development. | La nueva política del agua del gobierno mexicano, difundida desde hace casi dos décadas, tiene entre sus principales vertientes la relativa a la gestión del agua por cuencas y en los Consejos de Cuenca. En el discurso oficial se insiste en que dicha política pública promueve la participación de los usuarios en la toma de decisiones hidráulicas, y que esto a su vez conduce al manejo integral del agua en las cuencas. Aquí se analiza el marco normativo en esos aspectos, frente al discurso y los procesos que tienen lugar en el Consejo de Cuenca del Valle de México (CCVM), con énfasis en el tipo de participación que dicho marco permite a los usuarios agrícolas de aguas negras del Valle del Mezquital, en el estado de Hidalgo. Para la construcción de la propuesta teórica-conceptual se retomaron los aportes de la ecología política, y la historia y justicia ambientales. Se realizó una revisión documental amplia y se hizo trabajo de campo; en este último se hicieron recorridos exploratorio-descriptivos y se aplicaron entrevistas abiertas a informantes clave. La investigación demuestra que el marco normativo en materia de aguas, lejos de propiciar una participación social amplia en la toma de decisiones, como se promueve en el discurso oficial, constituye uno de los principales instrumentos para dar continuidad a la centralización histórica de las mismas, con consecuencias sociales y ambientales que no consistentes con el desarrollo sustentable.

A palmeira real australiana (Archontophoenix cunninghamii H. Wendl. & Drude) é uma das palmeiras exóticas de maior utilização no paisagismo e atualmente tem despertado grande interesse no cultivo para a produção de palmito, aumentando com isso a procura por mudas. Com o objetivo de avaliar a capacidade e a velocidade de germinação, sementes de palmeira real foram submetidas a processo prégerminativo constituídos de diferentes períodos de imersão em água destilada. Após o despolpamento, as sementes foram distribuídas em caixas gerbox, utilizando-se como substrato a vermiculita. O delineamento estatístico adotado foi inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições de 25 sementes. Testaram-se os seguintes períodos de imersão: T1 (0 dia), T2 (1 dia), T3 (2 dias), T4 (3 dias), T5 (4 dias), T6 (5 dias), T7 (6 dias) e T8 (7 dias). O experimento foi conduzido em câmara de germinação tipo BOD sob temperaturas alternadas de 25 - 35ºC sob fotoperíodo de 12 horas. Os dados de porcentagem de germinação foram transformados para arc sen (x/100)1/2 e realizado a análise de regressão polinomial. Para as sementes de palmeira-real-australiana o efeito da embebição em água não beneficiou a velocidade de germinação e a porcentagem de sementes germinadas. | The Australian Royal Palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamii H. Wendl. & Drude) is an exotic palm used in landscaping. Recently, it has also been cultivated for heart palm production, therefore increasing the commercial demand for its seedlings. With the objective of evaluating the seed germination capacity and speed, seeds of A. cunninghamii were submitted to a pre-germination process with different periods of immersion in distilled water. After seed depulping, they were distributed in gerbox plastic boxes, with vermiculite as substrate. The experimental statics design was completely randomized with four repetitions of 25 seeds. The periods of immersion tested were: T1 (0 day), T2 (1 day), T3 (2 days), T4 (3 days), T5 (4 days), T6 (5 days), T7 (6 days), and T8 (7 days). The experiment was conducted in B O D -type germination chamber under alternated temperature of 25-35º on photoperiod of 12 hours. The germination percentage data were transformed into arc sin (x/100)1/2 and a polynomial regression analysis was applied. Soaking seed in water can favor the germination speed in seeds, once absorption of water represents the initial step in the germination process. In A. cunninghamii this beneficial on germination speed or percentage of germinated seeds wasn’t observed.

La cuenca del río Birrís se ubica en la vertiente sureste del volcán Irazú, en ella existen varias unidades hidrogeológicas compuestas por materiales lávicos, laháricos y cenizas, las cuales se comportan como acuíferos y acuitardos agrupados en dos sistemas acuíferos denominados Birrís y Pacayas-Reventado. Estos sistemas acuíferos presentan conexión hidráulica efluente con los drenajes superficiales evidenciado a partir de manantiales que brotan en el contacto y en el frente de flujos de lavas que precisamente limitan su extensión. Considerando el uso de la tierra actual, la recarga de los sistemas acuíferos es de 38 000 000 m3/año. En esta cuenca, el uso actual de la tierra no coincide con la capacidad de uso, de forma que el 66% del área se encuentra en sobreuso, impactando negativamente los sistemas acuíferos, pues ha ocurrido conversión de las zonas boscosas a zonas de pastoreo y cultivos anuales en los sectores aledaños a los principales manantiales. La propuesta de lineamientos para el manejo de la cuenca incluye entre otras cosas: a) un plan de reforestación en áreas con capacidad de uso forestal, áreas de recarga y de protección de cauces en toda la cuenca de manera que se pueda disminuir la tasa de erosión sin afectar las actividades productivas; b) se debe proteger las zonas de recarga de los manantiales; c) se debe establecer clases de uso del territorio como parques lineales, áreas de baja densidad, áreas protegidas, corredores bioturísticos; d) se debe cartografiar y clasificar las fuentes potenciales de contaminación; e) en general se debe promover un plan de ordenamiento de la cuenca que concilie la producción hídrica de la misma con su capacidad de uso. | The Birrís watershed is located in the southeast slope of the Irazú volcano, in it, exist several hydrogeological units composed by volcanic material, lahar flow and ash, which behave as aquifer and acuitards contained in two denominated aquifer systems Birrís and Pacayas-Reventado, which present an effluent hydraulic connection with the superficial drainages. Considering the use of the current soil, the recharge of the aquifer systems is of 38 000 000 m3/year. In this basin, the current use of the land doesn't coincide with the use capacity, this way 66% of the area is in overuse, impacting negatively to the aquifer systems, because it has happened conversion from the forest areas to shepherding areas and annual cultivations in the sectors bordering to the main springs. The proposal of limits for the handling of the basin includes among other things: a) a reforestation plan in areas with capacity of forest use, recharge areas and of protection of beds in the whole basin; b) the areas of recharge of the springs of the basin in a such way should be protected; c) classes of use of the territory like lineal parks should be established, areas of low density, protected areas, bioturistics corridors; d) classify the potential sources of contamination and the measures of prevention; and) in general a plan of classification of the basin should be promoted that reconciles the water production of the same one with its use capacity.

O aumento da população das plantas daninhas eleva a habilidade competitiva dessas com as plantas cultivadas, podendo causar interferência nos aspectos fisiológicos das culturas. Objetivou-se com o trabalho avaliar a interferência de populações de Brachiaria brizantha nas características relacionadas a atividade fotossintética e o uso eficiente da água das cultivares de cana-de-açúcar RB72454, RB867515 e SP80-1816. Foi conduzido um experimento a campo, onde os tratamentos foram constituídos por 12 populações de plantas de B. brizantha que emergiram juntamente com a cultura. Aos 120 dias após a emergência da cana-de-açúcar foram realizadas as avaliações da concentração de CO2 subestomático (Ci - µmol mol-1), a atividade fotossintética (A - µmol m-2 s-1), a condutância estomática (Gs - mol m-1 s-1), a taxa de transpiração (E), a eficiência do uso da água (EUA) e a massa seca da parte aérea (SDM - g por planta) da cultura. Todas as variáveis fisiológicas e a massa seca da cultivar RB72454 foram afetadas pelo aumento da densidade das plantas de B. brizantha, bem como a transpiração da cultivar RB867515. A cultivar RB72454 apresenta menor habilidade competitiva com as plantas daninhas e a atividade fotossintética é limitada por fatores que reduzem o influxo de CO2 para o interior da folha.<br>The increase in density of weeds increases also its competitive ability, which affects the physiological aspects of crops. This study aimed to evaluate the interference of increasing densities of Brachiaria brizantha over sugarcane varieties RB72454, RB867515 and SP80-1816 based on physiological variables related to the photosynthesis rate. For this, a field was installed, being treatments composed by 12 densities of the competitor, ranging from 0 to 112 plants m-2, emerged simultaneously to the crop. At 120 days after crop emergence the substomatal CO2 concentration (Ci - µmol mol-1), photosynthetic activity (A - µmol m-2 s-1), stomatal conductance (gs - mol m-1 s-1), the transpiration rate (E), the water use efficiency (WUE) and the shoot dry mass (SDM - g per plant) of the crop were evaluated. All physiological variables and SDM of the variety RB72454 were affected by increasing the density of B. brizantha, as well as the transpiration rate of the variety RB867515. The variety RB72454 showed lower competitive ability with weeds and its photosynthetic ability is limited by factors that reduce the influx of CO2 into the leaf.

Between 1996 and 2005, natural catastrophic events had an estimated cost of US$575.2 billion world-wide. In particular, it has been observed that developing countries are relatively more affected by such events, since its gross domestic product (GDP) have showed sharper declines than developed countries' ratios. On August 15, 2007, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale shook the southern part of the central coast of Peru, with devastating consequences. Given the magnitude of the damage caused, one wonders how much less the cost of rehabilitating water and sanitation systems might have been if public investment projects and management of urban utilities (companies in charge of the water and sanitation provision), had incorporated disaster risk reduction measures. For this reason, and because this is a key public sector service for the wellbeing of population, the World Bank's water and sanitation program commissioned Apoyo Consultoria S.A.C. to conduct a research on the water and sanitation sector in order to attend the following inquiry: how much unpreparedness cost to the sector providing water and sanitation services? In other words, in economic terms, what will have been the gain to society or the reconstruction savings if risk prevention measures had been included in the management of services in the sector proposed for the analysis?