Water resources management: challenges and potential of the Committee of River Basin Passo Fundo

Abstract

The Watershed Committees are collegiate bodies which are discussed regional issues related to water management, playing a strategic role in water resources policy, as it has the potential to synthesize their guidelines. Thus the aim of this study is to assess the evolution of Committee actions of Passo Fundo River Basin and its impact on the implementation of the State System of Water Resources in its basin. After reviewing the minutes of the Committee and highlighted the main issues discussed, it can be concluded that the Committee presents problems related to lack of financial resources, and a low member participation in meetings, with the greatest difficulty the committee is how to motivate society participation and some users for matters of collective interest, since many municipalities have only themselves working on the committee at the time that there is some interest or claim of the municipality to be remedied. However, the committee presents at an advanced stage of development with the State Water Resources Board approved the proposed framework for establishing surface water quality parameters for the use of water resources in the River Basin Fund for the next step twenty years.