Abstract
What is river basin revitalization’s place in relation to water security? This question is the basis of our reflection, posed to help in the understanding of the evolution of both concepts, taking management of the São Francisco River Basin (Brazil) as a case study. With this main objective in mind, a literature review was carried out, followed by the collection of survey data on the watershed’s revitalization program. In this context, the members of the São Francisco River Basin Committee (a total of 124 participants) were consulted, using questionnaires with the Delphi method. The respondents (a total of 47) chose the river basin revitalization strategy as the main measure to achieving water security in the São Francisco River Basin. They also highlighted the importance of the environmental dimension, underlining measures for conservation and restoration of the ecosystem’s natural functions. The concept map tool was adopted for a comparative perspective between conceptual implications of revitalization and water security for the studied river basin’s conservation. The results showed the existence of a symbiotic relationship between both concepts. Consequently, we conclude that it is urgent to reconcile water use and ecosystem ecological integrity through the comprehensive concept of water security.
Highlights
We focused on the São Francisco River Basin (SFRB) due to its strategic importance for the country concerning territorial, political, socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental aspects
The research cohort chosen consisted of São Francisco River Basin Committee (SFRBC) members, who were consulted in two successive rounds of questionnaires, with the objective of identifying how they perceived the main strategies to achieve water security
Most of the opinions of the SFRBC members argue that priority should be given to revitalization measures, which, in turn, are reflected in the state of water security
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The list of priorities for water security planning does not includes conservation and restoration measures, not even for aquatic zones, and is often referred to as river basin revitalization This concept, containing a set of permanent and integrated actions for preservation, conservation, and environmental recovery, is aimed at the sustainable use of natural resources, the improvement of socioenvironmental conditions, and the availability of water in quantity and quality for multiple uses [23]. We focused on the São Francisco River Basin (SFRB) due to its strategic importance for the country concerning territorial, political, socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental aspects This river is the longest in the country, running entirely through the Brazilian territory, and 58 percent of its area is located in the Northeastern Drought Polygon of Brazil [24]. Through the use of this participatory method, the study intended: (i) to investigate the perception and understanding of the SFRBC about “water security in the basin” and (ii) to analyze its relationship with “river basin revitalization”, based on the hypothesis that river basin revitalization could be the main strategy to safeguard water security in other basins
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