The preservation of water resources in Brazil is a topic of extreme importance, since the country is home to a vast array of aquatic ecosystems, fundamental for maintaining biodiversity and environmental balance. In addition, water is a fundamental resource for agriculture, industry and public supply, which further reinforces the need to protect the country's water resources. However, despite the importance of these resources, the preservation of aquatic ecosystems in Brazil faces a series of threats, such as pollution, deforestation, overexploitation and environmental degradation. Therefore, several initiatives were implemented to protect the country's rivers, springs and aquifers.

One of these initiatives is the creation of Environmental Protection Areas, which are conservation units intended for the preservation of natural resources, where human activity is controlled and monitored. In Brazil, there are several areas of environmental protection aimed at the preservation of water resources, such as the Serra da Canastra National Park, in Minas Gerais, which protects the sources of the São Francisco River and the Tinguá Biological Reserve, which protects the sources of the Guandu River.

Guarani Aquifer: The Largest Groundwater Reserve in the World Is in Brazil

The Guarani Aquifer is one of the largest reserves of groundwater in the world, located in South America, occupying an area of 1.2 million km² that covers parts of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. In Brazil, the aquifer extends over 840,000 km², covering the states of São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Goiás and Minas Gerais.

The aquifer was formed around 245 million years ago, during the Triassic period, when the Gondwana continent began to break up, giving rise to several sedimentary basins. Over time, these basins were filled with layers of sedimentary rocks, forming an aquifer system with a thickness that can reach 800 meters.

The importance of the Guarani Aquifer for Brazil and for the world is inestimable. According to estimates by the Ministry of the Environment, the aquifer can store approximately 37,000 km³ of fresh water, enough to supply the world's population for 200 years, considering a daily consumption of 200 liters per person. In addition, the aquifer is responsible for supplying water to several Brazilian cities, such as São Paulo (SP), Curitiba (PR) and Porto Alegre (RS), being used for irrigation, industry and electricity generation. According to data from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the aquifer is capable of producing up to 40,000 MW of electricity per year, equivalent to around 16% of installed capacity in Brazil.

However, despite its importance, the Guarani Aquifer faces threats such as contamination by pesticides, industrial waste and domestic sewage, in addition to disorderly exploitation and lack of adequate monitoring. Therefore, several initiatives have been adopted to protect this natural heritage, such as the creation of environmental protection areas and the implementation of monitoring and management systems.

The creation of the Guarani Aquifer System (SAG) in 2008 was an important step towards the protection and sustainable management of the water reserve. The SAG is made up of representatives from the four countries that share the aquifer and intends to coordinate the monitoring, research and management of the aquifer, in addition to promoting regional integration and the sustainable use of water resources.

Preservation Actions

The adoption of measures to restore degraded areas has been increasingly common, such as the recomposition of riparian forests and the recovery of degraded areas around springs and rivers. These measures aim to recover the vegetation and soil around the water resources, increasing the infiltration capacity of water into the soil and reducing erosion, contributing to the protection of aquatic ecosystems.

Another important measure for the preservation of water resources is the implementation of basic sanitation systems, essential for protecting the quality of surface and groundwater. In Brazil, despite recent advances, the occurrence of water pollution by domestic and industrial sewage is still common, reinforcing the importance of investing in sewage treatment systems and raising awareness of the population about the importance of preserving water resources.

The preservation of water resources is a fundamental challenge for the environmental and economic sustainability of Brazil and the world. The protection of the Guarani Aquifer and other Brazilian aquatic ecosystems is one of the most important initiatives to guarantee the availability of fresh water and other essential natural resources for human life and for the conservation of biodiversity. It is essential that governments, companies and civil society work together to promote the sustainable management of water resources, ensuring their preservation and rational use for present and future generations.