The Taim Wetland Conflict: A Compromise Between Environment Conservation and Irrigation

Abstract

The Taim federal environmental protection area was created in 1978 to promote conservation of this subtropical wetland, one of the last existing ecosystems of this kind in southern Brazil. However, the protected area does not include lake Mangueira, the Taim's main water source, which is surrounded by intensive rice farming. Rice irrigation demands a large proportion of water during the dry season (40,000 m3/year out of 50,000 m3/year inflow to the lake). A severe drought (1989-1991) almost dried the Taim wetland, resulting in legal actions to enforce the conservation status. As a consequence, several studies were undertaken to elucidate the Taim's hydrological behavior, and to determine adequate water resources management policies. Results show that the ecosystem cannot withstand the present rate of water extraction. The two problems are: (i) defining a suitable plan to manage water extraction, and (ii) ensuring that the farmers respect it. A plan has been proposed, which includes forecasting the available volume and the complementary use of water from the nearby lake Mirim. The final form of the regulations, and their enforcement procedures, are under discussion with federal law enforcement officers, federal and state environmental and water resources agencies, and farmers.