In the extra edition of the Official Gazette of the Union last Tuesday, June 1st, the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA) published the Declaration of Critical Situation of Quantitative Scarcity of Water Resources of the Paraná Hydrographic Region until November 30, 2021. The measure, contained in Resolution No. 77/2021, was taken for the first time to ensure multiple uses of water during this period.
The Declaration was published by ANA with the aim of recognizing the critical situation of quantitative scarcity of water resources and supporting the adoption of temporary measures to ensure multiple uses of water and seek water security. After analyzing each situation, measures may be adopted, such as temporary operating rules for reservoirs to preserve their volumes. At first, the need for restrictions on consumptive uses (which consume water), such as irrigation and human supply, is not envisaged.
The Declaration was published by ANA on a preventive basis to mitigate possible risks to consumptive uses of water, resulting from the unfavorable rainfall scenario, until the end of this year's dry period. In this sense, in its technical analysis, the Agency took into account the Joint Note of the National Meteorology System (SNM), of May 27, which issued a Water Emergency Alert associated with the lack of precipitation for the Paraná Hydrographic Region from June to September this year.
The National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and the Management and Operational Center for the Amazon Protection System (CENSIPAM) signed the Water Emergency Alert for the first time due to forecasts of rain near or below average between May and September this year. Furthermore, the Paraná Hydrographic Region has been experiencing a severe rainfall deficit since October 2019, according to the SNM, and maps from the Drought Monitor.
According to ANA monitoring, several locations in the RH of Paraná recorded low to extremely low flows both in 2019 and in the rainy period of 2020/2021, when the lowest tributary flows (arriving) were recorded in some reservoirs representative of the region in the last five years . In Porto Primavera (MS/SP), for example, inflow flows in May 2021 were the lowest in the entire 91-year history.
As for the volumes stored in the reservoirs, on May 1st, seven of the 14 main reservoirs of hydroelectric plants in the region were at their worst level since 1999. And the others had levels among the five worst in that period.
Even with the low flows that are occurring, it is not expected, at first, that there will be problems with a lack of water for consumptive uses, such as human supply and irrigation. This is because the flow rates, even if lower, will be sufficient to meet these uses in terms of water quantity. However, adaptations to water collection structures may be necessary to adapt to the level, which may become lower, especially in the region's main reservoirs, avoiding interruption of their operation.
Regarding non-consumptive uses – such as hydroelectric generation, tourism, leisure and navigation – impacts are expected as a result of the reduction in reservoir storage levels. In the case of tourism and leisure, for example, impacts have already been occurring in the Furnas (MG) and Mascarenhas de Morais (MG) reservoirs. And there is a tendency for these impacts to worsen with the reduction in water levels throughout the dry period.
Regarding hydroelectric generation, the Electric Sector Monitoring Committee (CMSE) has already recognized in its 248th Extraordinary Meeting, on May 27, the risk of compromising electrical generation to serve the National Interconnected System (SIN). As for navigation, there should also be an impact due to the reduction in hydroelectric reservoir levels, especially on the Tietê-Paraná waterway, which depends on maintaining a minimum level in the Ilha Solteira (MS/SP) and Três Irmãos (SP) reservoirs. . There is a tendency to reduce this level with the possibility of interruption of the waterway.
ANA Resolution No. 77/2021 also established the Technical Advisory Group on the Situation of the Hydrographic Region of Paraná (GTA-RH Paraná), which provides for the participation of representatives from ANA and the states of the Region (Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Paraná and São Paulo). The GT will monitor the situation and subsidize the water resources management actions adopted by the responsible entities, aiming to ensure multiple uses of water.
The Paraná Hydrographic Region covers important uses of water resources, of socioeconomic relevance, and concentrates the main SIN regularization reservoirs, with a role in maintaining the region's water security and the country's energy security. rivers Paraná, Paranaíba, Grande, Tietê, Paranapanema, among others.
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The country accounts for 50% of the soybean market and, in 2020, reached the position of second corn exporter. It has also established itself as the largest producer of sugar and coffee
