This study examines how environmental issues have been addressed in the water sector in Brazil, within the context of activities of the Federal Government, generally, and those implemented under Bank sector operations, in particular. The core focus of the study lies in the management of water quality, as it affects both the users of raw water, and those who are primarily concerned with the disposal of wastewater. The report considers the following three sectoral areas concomitantly - water resources management, water supply and sanitation, and, the environment - thus limiting its review, and focus to those themes which are key to the over-arching issue of water quality. Water resources management in the country relied upon heavy investments in medium, and large scale projects that provided basic infrastructure for water uses. However, these have produced questionable impacts in terms of reducing poverty, and inequality. One of the reasons for this, has been the poor infrastructure management, which despite its importance, has been largely underestimated. While improvements in the utilization of existing infrastructure in the water sector remain critical, it needs to be complemented by incentives to both service providers, and water users. Moreover, low economic, environmental, and social returns from investments in the water sector, reflect the tendency to distract attention from the objectives in the design, and implementation of projects. Thus, an assessment of water quality goals is required, which should be based on systematic evaluations of the costs, and benefits of reaching alternative standards, and explicit social objectives.

Resumo do IX Congresso de Agroecologia. | O presente estudo objetivou fazer a avaliação do uso das cisternas de placas construídas no assentamento Taquaral em Corumbá MS pela CPT e BID, em 16 propriedades, sete (7) cisternas construídas pela CPT em sistema educativo e nove (9) cisternas construídas em projeto de grande porte financiado pelo BID. Foram avaliadas as formas de uso das cisternas pelos dois grupos de agricultores utilizando questionário semiestruturado com perguntas abertas e fechadas. Os resultados mostraram que os agricultores não têm estratégias claras de convivência com a seca, embora vários adotem tecnologias que poderiam ser massificadas. Observou-se que 70% agricultores que construíram a cisternas no sistema educativo a utilizam para os fins inicialmente propostos, enquanto que 70% dos agricultores do segundo grupo a utilizam como reservatório para agua salobra, o que não era o objetivo inicial.

Los humedales boscosos de agua dulce son áreas naturalmente inundadas o saturadas, que sustentan vegetación boscosa hidrófila, están presentes en todo el mundo, y en Chile son conocidos como "pitrantos, hualves o hualhues". El presente estudio entrega el estado del conocimiento de estos humedales en Chile, mediante una descripción de sus características biológicas, fisicoquímicas e hidrodinámicas, identificando las principales amenazas para su conservación y las principales necesidades de investigación. Estos ambientes pueden presentar inundación permanente o temporal, dependiendo de un conjunto de procesos microclimáticos, biológicos y edafológicos. Su vegetación, del tipo hidrófila boscosa, es dominada por especies de la familia Myrtaceae. Tanto el comportamiento hídrico como la estructura vegetacional destacan dentro de los aspectos que determinan directamente las características fisicoquímicas del agua y los patrones de distribución de las comunidades biológicas. Los humedales boscosos de Chile han sido ampliamente estudiados desde un punto de vista vegetacional y florístico, pero carecen de estudios limnológicos, hidrológicos o faunísticos básicos, de lo cual deriva un total desconocimiento en relación a su funcionamiento a nivel ecosistémico y los efectos que pueden tener las actividades humanas en sus cuencas (e.g., agrícola, ganadera, forestal) sobre sus componentes hídricos y biológicos. A pesar de ser ecosistemas de gran relevancia cultural y ecológica, se identifican importantes falencias en cuanto a su estado de conservación, al no encontrarse protegidos por las actuales herramientas de conservación existentes en el país. Por lo tanto, emergen como ecosistemas únicos, de relevancia mundial, prácticamente desconocidos en Chile y de gran interés para el desarrollo de numerosas líneas de investigación, aunque su alta susceptibilidad ante perturbaciones de origen antrópico amenaza su permanencia en el tiempo.<br>Forested freshwater wetlands are naturally flooded or saturated areas with hydrophilic forest vegetation which is worldwide distributed and is known as "pitrantos, hualves o hualhues" in Chile. This paper gives to know the state of art of these wetlands in Chile, through a description of its biological, physical-chemical and hydro-dynamic characteristics, identifying the main threats to its conservation and the main research needs. These environments can be permanently or temporarily flooded, depending on microclimatic, biological and edaphical processes. Its vegetation is dominated by species of the family Myrtaceae. Both hydric behavior and vegetation structure are major aspects that directly determine the water physical-chemical characteristics and the distribution patterns of biological communities. Chile's forested wetlands have been studied broadly from a vegetation and floristic point of view, but basic studies on limnology, hydrology or fauna are lacking, which results on a total lack of knowledge about its functioning at the ecosystem level and the effects that human activities on basins (e.g., agricultural, stockbreeding, forest) could have on its hydric and biological components. In spite of being ecosystems of great cultural and ecological significance, important weakness can be identified on its state of conservation, as they are not protected by conservation tools that exist in Chile nowadays. Therefore, forested wetlands emerge as unique ecosystems of global importance, nearly unknown in Chile and of great interest on developing an important number of research lines, even though their high susceptibility facing anthropic disturbances threaten their continuance.

The availability of fresh water on earth is 3%, which is low considering population growth; together with the mismanagement of water resources are the main problems facing the municipality of Riohacha; Therefore, a technology is needed that satisfies the demand for water using saline water, but currently there are no projects and / or studies on desalination techniques that contribute to improving the conditions of access to water suitable for human use and consumption that are viable in the territory, so it is proposed to determine the viability of a seawater desalination model coupled to a microbial desalination cell for vulnerable communities in Riohacha (Guajira) based on a literature review. Which was developed through a meta-analysis where the information was collected, a statistical analysis was developed, comparison between conventional desalination techniques and microbial desalination cells (CDM) and finally the results were analyzed along with social conditions and environmental of Riohacha. The main result is that the techniques coupled to CDM with bio-cathode that are viable for its implementation in Riohacha are Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Multistage Flash Distillation (MSF). Because they are the most efficient and economical techniques, with high availability worldwide and ease of operation, thus contributing to the fulfillment of the sustainable development objectives, ending poverty, zero hunger, health and well-being, and clean water and sanitation. | Ingeniero Ambiental | Pregrado | La disponibilidad de agua dulce en la tierra es del 3%, lo cual es bajo teniendo en cuenta el crecimiento poblacional; en conjunto con la mala gestión del recurso hídrico son las principales problemáticas que afronta el municipio de Riohacha; por lo que se necesita de una tecnología que satisfaga la demanda de agua empleando agua salina, pero actualmente no se encuentran proyectos y/o estudios sobre técnicas de desalinización que contribuyan a mejorar las condiciones de acceso al agua apta para uso y consumo humano que sean viables en el territorio, por lo que se plantea determinar la viabilidad de un modelo de desalinización de agua de mar acoplado a una celda de desalinización microbiana para comunidades vulnerables en Riohacha (Guajira) a partir de una revisión de literatura. La cual se desarrolló mediante un meta-análisis donde se recolectó la información, se elaboró un análisis estadístico, comparación entre las técnicas de desalinización convencionales y las celdas de desalinización microbiana (CDM) y finalmente se analizaron los resultados junto con las condiciones sociales y ambientales de Riohacha.Dando como principal resultado que las técnicas acopladas a la CDM con bio-cátodo que son viables para su implementación en Riohacha son la Ósmosis Inversa (OI) y Destilación Flash Multietapa (MSF). Por ser las técnicas más eficientes, económicas, de alta disponibilidad a nivel mundial y facilidad de operación, aportando así al cumplimiento de los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible fin de la pobreza, hambre cero, salud y bienestar y agua limpia y saneamiento.