A gestão e o planejamento integrado dos recursos hídricos: o caso da Barragem de Cristalândia, na Bahia

Abstract

This paper approaches the issue of water resources management and planning, subject of great relevance to the sustainable economic development. A detailed analysis is presented as a means to delineate the best multiple utilization of water resources, from an integrated regional point of view, taking into consideration the larger goals of the society as a whole, and in consonance with the principle of multiple uses of water resources. The Cristalândia dam at the Contas river basin, in the Southwest region of the State of Bahia, Brazil, was the focus of this study for its strategic importance to the development of that region. Besides accomplishing their noble function of meeting the ecological demands, the water resources disposed by this dam are efficiently allocated to satisfy the public supply system of Brumado, an important town in this region, and also of small rural and animal water supply systems in the area affected by the project, as well as to satisfy the needs of other strategical sectors and users, such as irrigation and electrical power generation. Since it harmonizes the concern of all water user sectors in that region and contributes to the improvement of the management efficiency of water resources disposed by that dam, the multifunctional project of Cristalândia accomplishes an important role, given that it bequeaths future generations the necessary water resources.