Higher Education Institutions as Drivers of Sustainable …
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provide opportunities for debate within communities and become the most aware
stakeholders.
5 Results and Discussion: The Case of Unisul
This final section was based on all reports of the Water Resources Plan of the Itapocu
River Basin (de Albuquerque Junior et al. 2017a, b, c, d, 2018) and seeks to presents
results and discussion in the study case analysis. Reports have shown that in the
last 50 years, most of the extreme events in the Itapocu river basin had hydrological
origins, such as floods. Hydric resources stored in aquifers in the Itapocu river basin
might work as a source of supplies to ensure water security in its region.
In around 40% of the basin’s area, the main activities are agriculture, mining,
urban areas, pastures, natural fields and reforestation areas, including 11 conservation
units. Regarding basic sanitation, the situation is not different from Brazilian average
and few families have access to sewage systems. The goals of Itapocu basin plan
had as a parameter for accomplishment the number of users registered for each
measure. However, meetings between stakeholders had great results, allowing the
opening dialogue path that was previously nonexistent, connecting decision-makers,
the scientific community and population, resulting in agility in political decisionmaking and saving time and resources. The project has constructed models based on
current, moderate and optimistic scenarios regarding the Itapocu river basin.
If the current case scenario proceeds, there will be hydric stress in several points
in the basin, while some regions, as sub-basins in the Putanga River, Jaraguá River
and Piraí River are already under the effect of water scarcity. The moderate scenario
presents changes in water saving and considers as a target a 30% reduction in water
losses compared to initial volumes. However, even if losses were reduced, some subbasins as Putanga River, Jaraguá River and Piraí river would continue to suffer with
water scarcity.
In an optimistic scenario, a 25% reduction in water losses was set as a target. To
that goal, decision-makers must be involved, since such a reduction in water losses
might be enough to meet population demands, given that in all planning units there is
enough water to meet the demands of the region. A deeper analysis in hydric resources
management might contribute to mitigate the problem of scarcity, especially in urban
centers; one alternative is to develop mitigating measures for some economic sectors,
basic sanitation and solid waste management. The mitigating actions will be enlisted
as follows in Table 4.
It is expected that with meetings, registrations and environmental education
efforts, water resources can be used more efficiently and sustainably, and government,
community and university partnerships might increase. Creating these reports allows
governments to take specific actions to solve populations’ problems, as improving
water quality in critical places, create a scenario to avoid a hydric crisis, create an
indicator plan for environmental sanitation, create programs directed towards hydric
817
provide opportunities for debate within communities and become the most aware
stakeholders.
5 Results and Discussion: The Case of Unisul
This final section was based on all reports of the Water Resources Plan of the Itapocu
River Basin (de Albuquerque Junior et al. 2017a, b, c, d, 2018) and seeks to presents
results and discussion in the study case analysis. Reports have shown that in the
last 50 years, most of the extreme events in the Itapocu river basin had hydrological
origins, such as floods. Hydric resources stored in aquifers in the Itapocu river basin
might work as a source of supplies to ensure water security in its region.
In around 40% of the basin’s area, the main activities are agriculture, mining,
urban areas, pastures, natural fields and reforestation areas, including 11 conservation
units. Regarding basic sanitation, the situation is not different from Brazilian average
and few families have access to sewage systems. The goals of Itapocu basin plan
had as a parameter for accomplishment the number of users registered for each
measure. However, meetings between stakeholders had great results, allowing the
opening dialogue path that was previously nonexistent, connecting decision-makers,
the scientific community and population, resulting in agility in political decisionmaking and saving time and resources. The project has constructed models based on
current, moderate and optimistic scenarios regarding the Itapocu river basin.
If the current case scenario proceeds, there will be hydric stress in several points
in the basin, while some regions, as sub-basins in the Putanga River, Jaraguá River
and Piraí River are already under the effect of water scarcity. The moderate scenario
presents changes in water saving and considers as a target a 30% reduction in water
losses compared to initial volumes. However, even if losses were reduced, some subbasins as Putanga River, Jaraguá River and Piraí river would continue to suffer with
water scarcity.
In an optimistic scenario, a 25% reduction in water losses was set as a target. To
that goal, decision-makers must be involved, since such a reduction in water losses
might be enough to meet population demands, given that in all planning units there is
enough water to meet the demands of the region. A deeper analysis in hydric resources
management might contribute to mitigate the problem of scarcity, especially in urban
centers; one alternative is to develop mitigating measures for some economic sectors,
basic sanitation and solid waste management. The mitigating actions will be enlisted
as follows in Table 4.
It is expected that with meetings, registrations and environmental education
efforts, water resources can be used more efficiently and sustainably, and government,
community and university partnerships might increase. Creating these reports allows
governments to take specific actions to solve populations’ problems, as improving
water quality in critical places, create a scenario to avoid a hydric crisis, create an
indicator plan for environmental sanitation, create programs directed towards hydric