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This paper aims to evaluate the hydrologic impacts of urban expansion in a peri-urban catchment that drains into a reservoir of the drinking water supply system of Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Region in Brazil. Despite the metropolitan interest and efforts in protecting the catchment, a recent change in zoning ordinances allowed urban expansion in the area. To evaluate the potential hydrological impacts of this land use regulation change, scenarios of urban expansion were conceived and simulated in the model Dinamica EGO. The Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was employed to assess potential hydrological impacts of land use change projections. Observed precipitation and water level data of the reservoir were used to calibrate and validate the hydrological model. Results confirm the impacts on several catchment hydrological processes following the progressive urban expansion in the area, particularly on volumes of infiltration, groundwater flow and runoff, increasing peak flows and flooding downstream the reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper includes a systematic review of the SARS-CoV-2 occurrence in environmental aquatic matrices and a critical sanitation analysis. We discussed the interconnection of sanitation services (wastewater, water supply, solid waste, and stormwater drainage) functioning as an important network for controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in waters. We collected 98 studies containing data of the SARS-CoV-2 occurrence in aquatic matrices around the world, of which 40% were from developing countries. Alongside a significant number of people infected by the virus, developing countries face socioeconomic deficiencies and insufficient public investment in infrastructure. Therefore, our study focused on highlighting solutions to provide sanitation in developing countries, considering the virus control in waters by disinfection techniques and sanitary measures, including alternatives for the vulnerable communities. The need for multilateral efforts to improve the universal coverage of sanitation services demands urgent attention in a pandemic scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socio-hydrology has recently garnered attention as a promising research paradigm among hydrologists. In this paper, we argue that viewing the socio-hydrological systems as a network of causal factors can assist in these efforts by revealing emergent properties of socio-hydrological systems. These factors, which are neither actors nor affiliations but symbolic representations of miscellaneous phenomena, represent the key variables affecting socio-hydrological system behaviour. Despite being crucial for understanding system dynamics, these factors are not captured by most equations of coupled human–water coevolutionary models. To demonstrate our method, we use qualitative case study research to analyse the Jaguaribe Basin in Ceará State-Brazil as a network of factors, i.e. mental conceptions, and representations of water resource management experts. We show that most results are unsurprising, exhibiting expected causal relationships. However, there was at least one unexpected result, which showed that the variable "conflict" was the single most sensitive variable to systemic evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of the water resources in Brazil: the country that holds 12% of the world's fresh water and has one of the most modern and sophisticated water resources management systems. This system—the National Water Resources Management System (SINGREH)—introduced new paradigms into water management practices in Brazil, such as decentralization, the use of economic tools, and public participation. In particular, this paper describes the roles of the National Water Agency, the institution created to implement such a complex system, taking into account the federative character of the country. In addition, the paper reviews the main challenges of river basin management in Brazil, considering the existence of rivers under different jurisdictions—Federal and State—within a single river basin. The paper then analyses the implementation and evolution of water use charges and the water agency at the Piracicaba, Capivari and Judiai river basins, as a study case. Those river basins are currently investing R$34 million in actions envisaged at the River Basin Water Plan. At the end, the paper concludes that global changes will bring new and important challenges to water resources management around the world in general, and in Brazil, in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the processes leading to the current basis for water pricing in Paraiba do Sul basin of Brazil. Reaching agreements required trade-offs between all parties involved. A simple method that could be promptly accepted by all was preferred. Agreements were reached between the various stakeholders, and water pricing started in early 2003. Although the current formula for water pricing is far from perfect, and will require further adjustments, the decision to levy bulk water charges has been generally accepted, and is now fully operational. The paper also addresses experiences for the state of Ceara, where water charges were established as a pioneering strategy to address cyclic droughts in this semi-arid region. Co-operation among the stakeholders transformed a water crisis scenario into a 'win-win' situation, laying the seeds for further regional economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high incidence of waterborne diseases is observed worldwide and in order to address contamination problems prior to an outbreak, quantitative microbial risk assessment is a useful tool for estimating the risk of infection. The objective of this paper was to assess the probability of Giardia infection from consuming water from shallow wells in a peri-urban area. Giardia has been described as an important waterborne pathogen and reported in several water sources, including ground waters. Sixteen water samples were collected and examined according to the US EPA (1623, 2005). A Monte Carlo method was used to address the potential risk as described by the exponential dose response model. Giardia cysts occurred in 62.5% of the samples (<0.1-36.1 cysts/l). A median risk of 10-1 for the population was estimated and the adult ingestion was the highest risk driver. This study illustrates the vulnerability of shallow well water supply systems in peri-urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Densely urbanized basins face a challenge to implement the concept of integrated water resources management at the river basin level. In these basins there is the interaction of different sectors of human activity, including transportation and housing, that need to be incorporated in the management system. Moreover, the frequently used interbasin transfer schemes impose a more encompassing management method. This paper proposes a new concept: the total urban water management. Under this new concept, integration is applied indistinctly to sectorial vectors (combining different water uses) and to the territorial vectors, in the sense of horizontally cutting across different jurisdictions on the territory. This new approach is applied to the case of the metropolitan region of São Paulo. As a result of the federative political system in Brazil, this region presents a complex institutional arrangement. Union and States are in charge of the administration of rivers and the municipalities are in charge of land use management. Hence, it is not enough to establish a water management system because the management of land use in the river basin impacts the water use in the rivers. A metropolitan management system, which includes municipalities and the State, is proposed to take into account all the aspects of an integrated management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on partnerships across the state-society divide in the management of bulk water in the state of Ceará, in Northeast Brazil. It examines the creation of Users' Commissions in two of Ceará's river basins--the Lower Jaguaribe/Banabuiú and the Curú. It is argued that the presence of synergy across the state-society divide is critical to guarantee meaningful public participation. In turn, meaningful participation improves decision making at the river basin level and supports positive values in policy making such as decentralization, equity, accountability and transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]