TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS IN THE AMERICAS
UNESCO-IHP
Paris, March 7
th- 9
th, 2005
Nelson da Franca R. dos Anjos OAS/OSDE OAS/OSDE UNESCO/OAS ISARM - Americas General Coordinator
UNESCO/OAS ISARM AMERICAS PROGRAMME Transboundary Aquifers of the Americas
Transboundary Aquifers of the Americas
This regional UNESCO-IHP/OAS initiative was launched at the g / IAH/ALHSUD Congress of Mar del Plata, Argentina, 2002.
OBJECTIVES:
) f
i) Improve the scientific, environmental, legal and institutional understanding of the transboundary groundwater resources of the hemisphere
the hemisphere.
ii) Produce an Inventory of Transboundary Aquifers of the Americas
Americas.
iii) Identify priority case studies for the implementation of pilot j t
projects.
Why transboundary aquifers are so important in the
A i ?
Americas?
Many American transboundary aquifers are located :
i t l l bl t
in arid and semi-arid regions in areas extremely vulnerable to
natural hazards and to climatic variability due to CC.
in areas with severe land/water degradation due to increased urbanization and industrialization extensive agriculture and industrialization, extensive agriculture and deforestation, which heavily impact entire ecosystems.
in areas of potential water use conflict, with high levels of poverty and health uncertainty
uncertainty.
ISARM Americas : ISARM Americas :
the results so far the results so far the results so far the results so far
I t
Inventory
• Active participation of 25 countries and creation of a network of National
Coordinators
• Identification of 59 transboundary aquifers:
transboundary aquifers:
35 in South America;
13 in Central America;
3 in the Caribbean (Haiti 3 in the Caribbean (Haiti- Dominican Rep.)
8 in North America
(M i US l )
(Mexico - US only)
Meetings with the Countries
September 2003: First
Coordination Workshop of the ISARM Americas Programme ISARM Americas Programme, Montevideo (UY)
November 2004: Second
Coordination Workshop of the ISARM Americas Programme , El Paso (TX), USA ( ),
September 2005:
September 2005: Third Third
Coordination Workshop of the Coordination Workshop of the ISARM Americas Programme, ISARM Americas Programme, ISARM Americas Programme, ISARM Americas Programme, Sao Paulo do Brasil, (BR)
Sao Paulo do Brasil, (BR)
Definition of priority case studies project areas Definition of priority case-studies, project areas, vision and objectives
Priority case-studies and areas:
Inter-mountaneous and coastal transboundary aquifers in SIDS: the Artibonite and Masacre aquifers in the Artibonite and Masacre aquifers in the Hispaniola Island (Haiti – Dominican Rep.) p )
Transboundary aquifers in semi-arid f
zones of South America: the Yrenda- Toba-Tarijeno aquifer system in the Gran Chaco Americano (AR BO PY)
Gran Chaco Americano (AR-BO-PY)
Transboundary aquifers in urban areas:
Artibonito and Masacre Transboundary Aquifers q
Dominican Rep. - Haiti
PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS
OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS
OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL REGION OF HISPANIOLA
Erosion in the upstream deforested areas
deforested areas
High sediment loads
The Artibonito Basin
Abstractions for irrigation and agriculture
energy
Accelerated erosion and runoff
due to deforestation in the upper reaches of
due to deforestation in the upper reaches of
the Artibonito basin
Artibonito Transboundary Aquifer System
Aquifer System
(Haiti-Dominican Rep.)
Recharge areas
Recharge areas Recharge areas
Aluvial sediments
Carbonatic formations
Clastic sediments
D if ?
Deep aquifers?
Coastal Transboundary Aquifer: Masacre - Coastal Transboundary Aquifer: Masacre
Coastal aquifers represent a valuable freshwater resource in many
small island states.
small island states.
They are being affected by saline intrusion due to over-exploitation and contamination.
Yrenda – Toba – Tarijeño Transboundary Aquifer System q Sy
Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay
Under preparation within the
context of the GEF-funded
Objectives of the groundwater component:Plata Basin Framework Project (UNEP/OAS), and co-financed by the Italian Ministry of
p
Assist countries in the assessment, protection and sustainable
manangement of the transboundary
by the Italian Ministry of
Environment
aquifers of the basin.Regional/Global Benefits:
Protection of the transboundary
groundwater resources and of groundwater dependent ecosystems.
Mitigation of and adaptation to the impacts of climatic fluctuations.
Local Benefits:
Integrated sustainable management of groundwater resources for multiple groundwater resources for multiple purposes (domestic, agriculture, environment).
The Yrenda-Toba-Tarijeno Tranboundary Aquifer underlies the Gran Chaco
Aquifer underlies the Gran Chaco
Americano, a wide semi-arid region where nearly the eighty per cent of the rural
nearly the eighty per cent of the rural
population lacks access to potable water.
The aquifer extends in Bolivia, , Argentina and Paraguay for approximately pp y 350.000 km2, covering about 40 per cent of the
AREA TOTAL = 352.000 Km2 Ríos
Localidad
Gran Chaco.
In this area, the problem of water scarcity is compounded by the recent population increase, agricultural land use and/or industrial
intensification, and by pollution/salinization.
From the intermountane aquifers and
recharge areas in the Andean belt
To the Chaco plains, where groundwater recharge from
the Andes foothills mixes with the saline groundwater of the plain the Andes foothills mixes with the saline groundwater of the plain creating a complex aquifer system
A B
800 1.000 1.200
800 1.200
ribia
Paraguay Bolivia
AREA
Bolivia
200 400 600
400 Acuífero Aluvial
Mcal.Estigarr Filadelfia
Agua dulce
Rio Paraguay (Concepción) A c u í f e r o P a l e o c a u c e
DE RECARGA
subandina
-200
0 0
Agua salobre
Agua salada de carácter regional Agua dulce
Faja s
0 50 100 Km
sistema de flujo regional sistema de flujo intermédio sistema de flujo local
- 400 - 400
The challenges:
•Reach a common understanding of this shared resource
•Introduce joint management mechanisms
•Protect recharge areas
•Enhance exploitation of deeper levels
P d if h
•Promote managed aquifer recharge as a
mitigation measure of extreme climatic events
•Establish the aquifer as a regional demonstration f li ti i th h l Pl t B i
for replication in the whole Plata Basin
Step forward of the ISARM Americas
El Paso Workshop Recommendations (Nov. 2004) p ( )
Hydrogeological and environmental aspects:
•Take into account the role of GW in mitigating the effects of the climatic variability and in preserving related ecosystem in the development of the integrated groundwater/surface in preserving related ecosystem in the development of the integrated groundwater/surface water management
•Call for attention for the devastating effects of deforestation on the fragile areas of aquifer recharge
•Growing urbanization resulting in reduced recharge, requires “optimal” adapted urban drainage management
•Concentrate efforts to improve and preserve the information on the aquifers, beyond the socio-political and technical ups and downs of the countries Encourage the involvement socio-political and technical ups and downs of the countries. Encourage the involvement of academia and centers of investigation in studies and projects.
Socio-economical aspects:
•Need for multidisciplinary GW management driven by the concept of sustainability and
Institutional and legal aspects:
•Need for multidisciplinary GW management, driven by the concept of sustainability and by conflict resolution approach. Involvement of the civil society, including indigenous population.
Institutional and legal aspects:
•Take into account other countries’ examples and experience in the preparation of GW regulations, laws and agreements. Need for information exchange.
•Base the formulation of legislative instruments on technical information.Base the formulation of legislative instruments on technical information.
•Adopt or learn from, whenever the case, laws and regulations for surface waters.
•Stregthen the institutions.
South America:
Identified Priority Identified Priority Transboundary Transboundary
Yrenda-Toba-Tarijeno (Argentina-Bolivia- Paraguay
- To be executed in the frame of the La Plata GEF/UNEP/OAS Project
Transboundary Transboundary
Aquifers and status Aquifers and status in 2005
in 2005
North America :
Bolson del Hueco (Mexico-USA)
GEF/UNEP/OAS Project
Pantanal (Paraguay-Bolivia-Brasil)
- Project concept definition: meeting in Corumba’
(Mexico USA)
- executed by IBWC/CILA
Caribbean:
A tib it M
Project concept definition: meeting in Corumba (Bo), March 30th-31st, 2005
Boa Vista – North Savanna (Guyana-Brasil)
S b itt d t OAS f fi i th h FEMCIDI
Artibonito-Masacre (Dominan Rep.-Haiti)
- Concept paper developed by UNEP-OAS to be
G f
- Submitted to OAS for financing through FEMCIDI funds
Patino (Argentina-Paraguay)
submitted to GEF for financing
Central America:
( g g y)
Zarumilla (Ecuador-Peru) - Project funded by IAEA Ce t a e ca
Ostua-Metapan
(Guatemala-El Salvador) Guarani (Argentina-Brasil-Paraguay-Uruguay) - On-going project (GEF/World Bank/OAS) Estero Real-Rio Negro
(Honduras-Nicaragua) San Antonio del Tachira – Cucuta (Colombia- Venezuela)
