Chapter 30 - Groundwater management in Brazil: current status and challenges for sustainable utilization

Abstract

Brazil has abundant water resources but rapid expansion of agriculture, industry, and urbanization along with climate variability has led to several negative impacts on its groundwater resources. Water resource management and policy demands change to reflect these new pressures. Over the last few decades, many efforts were made to better understand hydrogeological systems, establish groundwater regulatory framework, including formal governing bodies, new national water laws and legislation to monitor and control water abstraction and pollutants, and improve artificial recharge. This work has yet to achieve a sustainable model for resource utilization. This chapter provides a systematic in-depth review of the groundwater scenario and management perspective of Brazil. It first investigates groundwater use, problems, and availability, and then it highlights management practices, followed by the current challenges faced by Brazilian groundwater governing bodies.