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11 - The São Francisco River Basin

from Part III - Engineered Rivers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2021

By
Antônio R. Magalhães  and
Eduardo Sávio P. R. Martins
Edited by
Jurgen Schmandt  and
Aysegül Kibaroglu
Edited in association with
Regina Buono  and
Sephra Thomas
Jurgen Schmandt
Affiliation:
Houston Advanced Research Center
Aysegül Kibaroglu
Affiliation:
MEF University, Istanbul
Regina Buono
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Austin
Sephra Thomas
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Austin
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Summary

The São Francisco river crosses some of the driest parts of the Brazilian Semi-arid Region and brings life to ecosystems and to millions of people. Droughts are a recurrent problem in the basin. Since the second part of the twentieth century, several dams, irrigation projects, and water and sanitation systems have been built, and these developments have impacted river conditions, such as stream flows, sedimentation, silting, and water quality. The development of the river, and its engineering solutions, have prioritized the hydroelectric and agricultural sectors. This has started to change with the new water law of 1997 and the creation of the National Water Agency (ANA) in 2000. This chapter reviews current water management and use in the basin as well as the scenarios, which indicate that, in the future, precipitation and stream flows may be reduced significantly due to climate change while water demand will increase due to population growth and development.

Keywords

Säo FranciscoBrazilgroundwaterdroughts and floodssedimentation-siltingsocio-economydamswater transfersinstitutional arrangementsscenarios for future
Type
Chapter
Information
Sustainability of Engineered Rivers In Arid Lands
Challenge and Response
 , pp. 132 - 151
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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References

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