water supply by reducing vulnerability to climate variability and change?

Transcription

1 Climate Variability and Competing Demands for Urban Water Supply: Reducing Vulnerability Through River Basin Governance in Brazil authored by Rosa Maria Formiga Johnsson & Ana Lúcia Britto Fifth Urban Research Symposium "Cities and Climate Change: Responding to an Urgent Agenda" Paraíba do Sul and Guandu River Basins, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Marseille, June Main question How governance mechanisms can facilitate adaptive actions in urban water supply by reducing vulnerability to climate variability and change? The study examines the Paraíba do Sul and Guandu rivers, which are responsible for supplying over 80% of the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region (RJMR), as well as many cities outside it. 1

2 Research context 1) This paper is part of a three year study which began in November 2008, primarily based on qualitative research methods (bibliographic reviews, case studies, interviews and key informant questionnaires). 2) The larger study is principally focused on the vulnerability of urban water sources especially those used for human consumption and on the potential adaptive capacities in water management. Case study: Paraíba do Sul and Guandu River Basins Greater Rio de Janeiro Water diversion and Guandu basin 2

3 Central hypothesis Countries and regions that have greater difficulty dealing with natural climate variability and extreme conditions will have to work harder to adapt to climate change, if only because extreme climactic situations will occur more often. Basic concepts The theoretical literature has identified various factors influencing the capacity of a system to adapt to different stresses in positive ways, such as economic resources, technology, information and skills, infrastructure, and equity (IPCC, 2001). Recent studies have found that institutions and governance structures are also critical determinants t for adaptive capacity (Eakin and Lemos 2006; Engle and Lemos, 2007, IPCC, 2008). This paper presents some initial empirical results of the study underway. 3

4 The problem: drought and critical levels of water reservation Evolution of the volume equivalent of the five regulation reservoirs, Paraíba do Sul River Basin, January 1993 to May, Source: ANA, Reducing vulnerability through River Basin Governance Many actors directly involved in the negotiation process around the water scarcity problem: Water users of Paraíba do Sul and Guandu basins (water and sanitation agencies; hydropower companies, industries, among others); River Basin committees (CEIVAP, and the Guandu River Basin Committee, which was created in 2002); the National Water Agency (ANA); the National Systems Operator (ONS), responsible for the coordination and control of electric energy generation, which includes the Paraíba do Sul reservoirs; Water and environmental agencies of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo States and others 4

5 Reducing vulnerability through River Basin Governance (cont.) CEIVAP created an ad hoc working group, that met weekly during the critical period. CEIVAP informally delegated this group of technical specialists the authority to decide on reservoir levels and transfer volumes The Working Group proved to be an important actor in dealing with these conflicts and proved quite effective in increasing the percentage of total water capacity filled, while managing to meet Conclusions Among the most important advances of this process of river basin governance we would highlight the following: Hydraulic collapse resulting in insufficient water supply and rationing in various parts of the Paraíba do Sul and Guandu basins was avoided, along with incalculable consequences and harm; For the first time, all the actors directly involved in the operation and management of the reservoirs participated actively in the decision-making process, until then totally restricted to the technical community. 5

6 Conclusions (cont.) This empirical observation is aligned with several recent studies in the field of adaptive capacity that have focused on governance and institutional determinants, among others (Brooks et al, 2005; Eakin and Lemos, 2006; Engle, 2007; IPCC, 2008). Thank you very much! 6