IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/lauspo/v82y2019icp509-517.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Natural factors or environmental neglect? Understanding the dilemma of a water crisis in a scenario of water plenty

Author

Listed:
  • Batista Mattos, Jonatas
  • Brito Silva, Kaique
  • da Silva, Roberto José
  • Mota Almeida, Thiara Helena
  • Sibilla Soares Póvoas, Hogana
  • da Silva, Paulo Vagner Ribeiro
  • de Araújo Góes, Ingrid Matos
  • da Silva Matos, Irlanda

Abstract

The objective of this study was to discuss how natural factors associated with poor land use policy and ineffective water resources management triggered a severe water crisis in a region with water plenty. The idea developed throughout the text is the result of a water shortage experience in a Brazilian medium-size city, related to recurrent climatological events, indicating the need for national and international water management agencies to elaborate policies, guidelines and mechanisms that take environmental seasonality into account. The study area (Itabuna city) is located within a rainforest biogeographic context, with high rainfall rates and perennial fluvial regimes. Nevertheless, in a period of climatic oscillation (2015-2016), the region experienced a water shortage because it relied on what it neglects. Through GIS and geoprocessing, we estimate the levels of degradation of two neighboring watersheds to illustrate the problem discussed here. The discourse adopted by the urban managers pointed out that the natural factors caused the water crisis. However, one of the watersheds that supply water to urban areas did not meet demand during the dry season, the other is degraded and with reduced ability to deliver ecosystem services. Due to the water crisis, an old proposal of implementing a dam in the watershed with highest level of degradation was resumed and implanted. The method chosen to solve the issue of water shortage, although valid, isn’t enough, in addition to demanding large engineering interventions in the natural environment, it does not guarantee water security without an effective land use policy for watersheds. Therefore, as a complement to the dam, we suggest watershed restoration and preservation policies that can effectively regulate water production and promote resilient and sustainable water security should be implemented.

Suggested Citation

  • Batista Mattos, Jonatas & Brito Silva, Kaique & da Silva, Roberto José & Mota Almeida, Thiara Helena & Sibilla Soares Póvoas, Hogana & da Silva, Paulo Vagner Ribeiro & de Araújo Góes, Ingrid Matos & d, 2019. "Natural factors or environmental neglect? Understanding the dilemma of a water crisis in a scenario of water plenty," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 509-517.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:82:y:2019:i:c:p:509-517
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.12.027
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837718312158
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.12.027?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bennett, Drew E. & Gosnell, Hannah & Lurie, Susan & Duncan, Sally, 2014. "Utility engagement with payments for watershed services in the United States," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 8(C), pages 56-64.
    2. Salvador Saz-Salazar & Miguel A. García-Rubio & Francisco González-Gómez & Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo, 2016. "Managing Water Resources Under Conditions of Scarcity: On Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Improving Water Supply Infrastructure," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(5), pages 1723-1738, March.
    3. de Groot, Roland B.A. & Hermans, Leon M., 2009. "Broadening the picture: Negotiating payment schemes for water-related environmental services in the Netherlands," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(11), pages 2760-2767, September.
    4. Martin-Ortega, Julia & Ojea, Elena & Roux, Camille, 2013. "Payments for Water Ecosystem Services in Latin America: A literature review and conceptual model," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 6(C), pages 122-132.
    5. Chen, Ji & Shi, Haiyun & Sivakumar, Bellie & Peart, Mervyn R., 2016. "Population, water, food, energy and dams," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 18-28.
    6. M. Aini & A. Fakhru'l-Razi & K. Siew Suan, 2001. "Water Crisis Management: Satisfaction Level, Effect and Coping of the Consumers," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 15(1), pages 31-39, February.
    7. Vogl, Adrian L. & Goldstein, Joshua H. & Daily, Gretchen C. & Vira, Bhaskar & Bremer, Leah & McDonald, Robert I. & Shemie, Daniel & Tellman, Beth & Cassin, Jan, 2017. "Mainstreaming investments in watershed services to enhance water security: Barriers and opportunities," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 19-27.
    8. Graciela Chichilnisky & Geoffrey Heal, 1998. "Economic returns from the biosphere," Nature, Nature, vol. 391(6668), pages 629-630, February.
    9. Hejnowicz, Adam P. & Raffaelli, David G. & Rudd, Murray A. & White, Piran C.L., 2014. "Evaluating the outcomes of payments for ecosystem services programmes using a capital asset framework," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 83-97.
    10. Kaveh Madani, 2014. "Water management in Iran: what is causing the looming crisis?," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 4(4), pages 315-328, December.
    11. Zolin, C.A. & Folegatti, M.V. & Mingoti, R. & Paulino, J. & Sánchez-Román, R.M. & González, A.M.O., 2014. "The first Brazilian municipal initiative of payments for environmental services and its potential for soil conservation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 75-83.
    12. Bart Bruggen & Karolien Borghgraef & Chris Vinckier, 2010. "Causes of Water Supply Problems in Urbanised Regions in Developing Countries," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 24(9), pages 1885-1902, July.
    13. Richards, Ryan C. & Rerolle, Julia & Aronson, James & Pereira, Paulo Henrique & Gonçalves, Helena & Brancalion, Pedro H.S., 2015. "Governing a pioneer program on payment for watershed services: Stakeholder involvement, legal frameworks and early lessons from the Atlantic forest of Brazil," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 23-32.
    14. Pagiola, Stefano & Ramirez, Elias & Gobbi, Jose & de Haan, Cees & Ibrahim, Muhammad & Murgueitio, Enrique & Ruiz, Juan Pablo, 2007. "Paying for the environmental services of silvopastoral practices in Nicaragua," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 374-385, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Song, Malin & Xie, Qianjiao & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Yao, Xin, 2023. "Economic growth and security from the perspective of natural resource assets," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Brownson, Katherine & Fowler, Laurie, 2020. "Evaluating how we evaluate success: Monitoring, evaluation and adaptive management in Payments for Watershed Services programs," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    2. Ola, Oreoluwa & Menapace, Luisa & Benjamin, Emmanuel & Lang, Hannes, 2019. "Determinants of the environmental conservation and poverty alleviation objectives of Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 52-66.
    3. Jones, Kelly W. & Avila Foucat, Sophie & Pischke, Erin C. & Salcone, Jacob & Torrez, David & Selfa, Theresa & Halvorsen, Kathleen E., 2019. "Exploring the connections between participation in and benefits from payments for hydrological services programs in Veracruz State, Mexico," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 32-42.
    4. Hao Wang & Sander Meijerink & Erwin van der Krabben, 2020. "Institutional Design and Performance of Markets for Watershed Ecosystem Services: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-26, August.
    5. Grima, Nelson & Singh, Simron J. & Smetschka, Barbara, 2018. "Improving payments for ecosystem services (PES) outcomes through the use of Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) and the software OPTamos," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 29(PA), pages 47-55.
    6. Jones, Kelly W. & Gannon, Benjamin & Timberlake, Thomas & Chamberlain, James L. & Wolk, Brett, 2022. "Societal benefits from wildfire mitigation activities through payments for watershed services: Insights from Colorado," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    7. Benjamin S. Thompson, 2021. "Corporate Payments for Ecosystem Services in Theory and Practice: Links to Economics, Business, and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.
    8. Ackerschott, Adriana & Kohlhase, Esther & Vollmer, Anita & Hörisch, Jacob & von Wehrden, Henrik, 2023. "Steering of land use in the context of sustainable development: A systematic review of economic instruments," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    9. Bremer, Leah L. & Auerbach, Dan A. & Goldstein, Joshua H. & Vogl, Adrian L. & Shemie, Daniel & Kroeger, Timm & Nelson, Joanna L. & Benítez, Silvia P. & Calvache, Alejandro & Guimarães, João & Herron, , 2016. "One size does not fit all: Natural infrastructure investments within the Latin American Water Funds Partnership," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 17(C), pages 217-236.
    10. Lliso, Bosco & Pascual, Unai & Engel, Stefanie, 2021. "On the role of social equity in payments for ecosystem services in Latin America: A practitioner perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    11. Raes, Leander & Loft, Lasse & Le Coq, Jean François & Van Huylenbroeck, Guido & Van Damme, Patrick, 2016. "Towards market- or command-based governance? The evolution of payments for environmental service schemes in Andean and Mesoamerican countries," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 20-32.
    12. Martin-Ortega, Julia & Dekker, Thijs & Ojea, Elena & Lorenzo-Arribas, Altea, 2019. "Dissecting price setting efficiency in Payments for Ecosystem Services: A meta-analysis of payments for watershed services in Latin America," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 1-1.
    13. Blanco, Esther & Struwe, Natalie & Walker, James M., 2021. "Experimental evidence on sharing rules and additionality in transfer payments," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 1221-1247.
    14. Bösch, Matthias & Elsasser, Peter & Wunder, Sven, 2019. "Why do payments for watershed services emerge? A cross-country analysis of adoption contexts," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 111-119.
    15. Jones, Kelly W. & Muñoz Brenes, Carlos L. & Shinbrot, Xoco A. & López-Báez, Walter & Rivera-Castañeda, Andrómeda, 2018. "The influence of cash and technical assistance on household-level outcomes in payments for hydrological services programs in Chiapas, Mexico," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 31(PA), pages 208-218.
    16. van den Belt, Marjan & Stevens, Sharon M., 2016. "Transformative agenda, or lost in the translation? A review of top-cited articles in the first four years of Ecosystem Services," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 22(PA), pages 60-72.
    17. Margaret Walls & Yusuke Kuwayama, 2019. "Evaluating Payments for Watershed Services Programs in the United States," Water Economics and Policy (WEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(04), pages 1-38, October.
    18. Saad, Sandra I. & Mota da Silva, Jonathan & Ponette-González, Alexandra G. & Silva, Marx Leandro Naves & da Rocha, Humberto R., 2021. "Modeling the on-site and off-site benefits of Atlantic forest conservation in a Brazilian watershed," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    19. Montero-de-Oliveira, Fernando-Esteban & Blundo-Canto, Genowefa & Ezzine-de-Blas, Driss, 2023. "Under what conditions do payments for environmental services enable forest conservation in the Amazon? A realist synthesis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    20. Börner, Jan & Baylis, Kathy & Corbera, Esteve & Ezzine-de-Blas, Driss & Honey-Rosés, Jordi & Persson, U. Martin & Wunder, Sven, 2017. "The Effectiveness of Payments for Environmental Services," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 359-374.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:82:y:2019:i:c:p:509-517. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joice Jiang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/land-use-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.