Abstract
Abstract Water management is assuming more and more importance as freshwater resources are becoming scarce, both in quality and in quantity, across many developed and developing countries. This trend can be attributed to population growth, industrialization, growing agricultural demand, poor water management practices and climate change. In attempting to deal with the intensification of water quality- and quantity-related problems in recent decades, many countries have revised their water resource management policies and legislation, introducing new institutional frameworks and management instruments. Considering regional geographic and cultural distinctions, the present article aims at comparing the models of water resource management in the European Union (EU) and in Brazil. Institutional and legal arrangements currently in place, water planning and management instruments currently in use, assessments of water body status and watershed diagnoses were analysed. Main strengths and weaknesses of each water management system are pointed out in the conclusion. Main challenges for the water sector, and highlights of the converging and diverging points concerning water resource management systems, in each region, are discussed.
Highlights
In the European Union (EU) and in Brazil alike, water resource management is complex, owing to the diverse geographical, cultural, climatic, socioeconomic and political realities that exist across member states and federal states
The introduction of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) in the year 2000 aimed to bring in a new paradigm for European water management (Teodosiu et al, 2003), with the inclusion of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater
The systems for water body classification are distinct, as are monitoring requirements, which are clearly defined in the European WFD, but not in the Brazilian legislation
Summary
In the European Union (EU) and in Brazil alike, water resource management is complex, owing to the diverse geographical, cultural, climatic, socioeconomic and political realities that exist across member states and federal states. Approaches for dealing with those extreme situations that entail the integration of public policy instruments, the articulation between governmental policies, and the enhancement of mechanisms that foster social participation in decision making (Brannstrom et al, 2004; Abers, 2007) are desirable. This articulation promotes a more effective deployment of management actions, in supervision and enforcement, and in continuous monitoring and evaluation efforts (OECD, 2019). Environmental concerns were the primary drivers behind both the European Community’s (Akinsete et al, 2019) and Brazil’s (Mercure et al, 2019) water policies and legislative reforms, as their governments recognized that formally and clearly allocating water rights and accountability introduces the necessity of incentives for resource conservation by rights holders (Jimenez et al, 2018)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
