The end of the waters in the heart of Brazil.

247 - Goiás is the cradle of water, but this important source of resources is threatened. A report in the newspaper Diário da Manhã points out the difficulties for the waters to flow endlessly.

The Cerrado is drying up.

David Souza

The first civilizations developed near rivers. This exemplifies the importance of water for life. Caring for water is caring for our species. The rivers that bathe the Central-West region are divided into three large hydrographic basins: the Amazon, the Tocantins-Araguaia, and the Platina Basin.

The Tocantins-Araguaia Basin is home to the water resources that drain into the Tocantins and Araguaia rivers. The basin covers an area of ​​967.059 km², making it the largest basin located entirely within Brazilian territory. It encompasses the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Maranhão, Pará, and the Federal District.

The pathways through which water moves are analogous to the human circulatory system. Before a body of water is called a river, it was a spring, trickle, brook, creek, rivulet, or stream. When a river dries up, countless springs, streams, creeks, etc., have already died.

Geologist and PhD in Environmental Sciences Maximiliano Bayer reveals that the availability of water resources in the Cerrado naturally represents a comfortable situation for the population in terms of water volume. "Regarding hydrographic aspects, the situation is relatively comfortable, even more so when compared to other regions of Brazil and the world where the situation is a real tragedy," he assesses. 

Despite these favorable natural factors, this apparent "wealth" may be threatened by many villains, especially when it comes to quantifying water resources. 

Uncertainty manifests itself in various ways, including the lack of historical series of hydrological data in smaller basins and the lack of continuity and frequency in the collection of information on the quantity of sediments in the state's larger basins. Thus, an integrated system that would allow for determining the real availability of water has not yet been implemented in the basins of Goiás.

Goiás is the cradle of waters, home to the Araguaia Basin, the São Francisco Basin, the Paraná Basin, and the Guarani Aquifer, an underground water reserve covering 1,2 million square kilometers that blesses Goiás, among other states, with its presence.

Uncertain future

While the current situation is satisfactory, it doesn't mean we're on the right track. Urban population growth, the expansion of the agricultural frontier, mining, and other polluting sources are factors that disrupt the current stability regarding water resources.

In cities, deficiencies in sewage collection and treatment, excessive soil sealing, and the destruction of water sources are some of the culprits. In the countryside, concerns are the encroachment of plantations on native vegetation and the extraction of water through center-pivot irrigation systems. Not to mention the incorrect use of fertilizers and the lack of care in disposing of pesticide containers, which often contaminate the soil and, consequently, the water table.

It is at this point that the professor makes a reservation, “a high percentage of surface water resources already present characteristics that could compromise the sanitary conditions of the population. In the not-too-distant future, the true wealth will be represented by groundwater reserves and the management of this resource. We haven't progressed much yet, and when we wake up, the damage could be very great,” he concludes.

Another human action that alters the configuration of rivers is the construction of hydroelectric dams. The website of the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) lists 28 new such projects planned for the state. Of these, ten are under construction, and another 18 have had their permits signed.

Degradation harms producers. 

“The Secretariat of the Environment and Water Resources (Semarh) is not monitoring the rivers that supply water to large irrigation pivots. Goiás is without leadership in the environmental area,” denounces Antonio Carlos Volpone, director of the Non-Governmental Organization Aece (Association for the Exploration of Caves and Elevations Pro Nature), better known as Warriors of Nature. 

He draws attention to the consequences of water scarcity in agriculture. “Many farmers think that by clearing land, even up to the riverbank, they are gaining space for their crops. No, they are losing money. Because they won't have enough water to operate the pivot irrigation system; the river water won't be able to support so many pivots, and every year the river levels are dropping,” Volpone points out. 

Mary Joyce, a biologist and environmental analyst at Semarh, explains that the department works with an annual inspection plan. This plan includes various operational strategies. Operations are planned for holidays and vacation periods. Responding to complaints from the Public Prosecutor's Office or received by telephone is also part of the inspection plan. Complaints are often made by neighbors who, exceptionally, go to Semarh in person and even bring photos. "Specific operations are mounted when a region has many complaints," adds Mary Joyce.

Regarding meeting the demand, she clarifies that there has been progress, "it has already improved a lot, there are 246 municipalities, our structure requires more care, especially human resources, but it has already improved a lot," reinforces Mary Joyce.

The decrease in water volume can harm both small and medium-sized producers. Larger producers depend on river water for irrigation of off-season planting, the so-called "safrinha" (second crop). For producers with smaller properties, the lack of water affects their domestic routine, the lives of their animals, and the irrigation of their crops.

The flood that hit the city of Goiás in January 2011 was influenced by climate change. Environmental analyst Mary Joyce understands that deforestation is one of the factors that contribute to floods, "certainly, especially the tree that is protecting that space; when you remove an item from the cycle, you disrupt the cycle," she warns.

In a simplified sense, the water cycle goes through the processes of evaporation, precipitation (rain), and surface runoff. Where there are forests, the trees slow down the circulation of water on land, preventing the silting up of rivers.