The federal government has formalized Priority Water Recharge Areas in the Cerrado Biome (APRHIC). The initiative aims to guide public policies for conservation, restoration, and control to ensure water security and prevent water scarcity in the country.
The federal government has taken a decisive step towards preserving the “Heart of Brazil’s Waters” by officially defining Priority Water Recharge Areas in the Cerrado Biome (APRHIC). This new strategic instrument establishes clear guidelines on where to concentrate governmental efforts to ensure the water supply, essential not only for environmental balance but also for the national economy and development.
The biome, strategically located in the Central Plateau, acts as a vast natural water reservoir. Detailed technical analysis has identified critical regions urgently needing protection, restoration, and rigorous management.
The measure is seen as a democratic milestone, built on scientific evidence, aiming to ensure future access to water resources amidst growing climate challenges.
The Strategic Importance of the Cerrado
The Cerrado is responsible for supplying 8 out of Brazil’s 12 river basins. However, its capacity to maintain river flow has been severely compromised.
Data indicates that the biome has already lost over 50% of its native vegetation, resulting in an average 27% drop in the safety flow of its rivers. As the biome’s soil facilitates infiltration, its more than 3,000 springs feed vital basins like the São Francisco, Paraná, and Araguaia, sustaining agriculture and human consumption in vast regions.
A New Paradigm for Water Security
Experts warn that water scarcity, exacerbated by climate extremes, jeopardizes energy stability and increases commodity costs. The creation of the APRHICs attempts to overcome the gaps in the Native Vegetation Protection Law, focusing on the protection of recharge areas.
Isabel Figueiredo, Cerrado Program Coordinator at the Institute for Society, Population, and Nature (ISPN), stated:
The definition of APRHICs is an essential layer of territorial planning for the Cerrado, offering a perspective beyond individual states, municipalities, or properties. This is a very useful tool for public managers in controlling environmentally harmful activities and for civil society to promote actions and carry out social oversight.
Yuri Salmona, Executive Director of Instituto Cerrados, summarized:
The APRHICs indicate the importance of protecting and restoring the Cerrado beyond riverbanks, which is what current legislation suggests. It’s like protecting the arteries but not the heart, which is responsible for pumping water through the system.
Direction for Public Policies
The project is the result of robust technical collaboration between the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Instituto Cerrados, UFRGS, and the National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANA). The main objective is to provide spatial intelligence to guide investments.
According to Adalberto Maluf, National Secretary for Urban Environment and Environmental Quality, the proposal will allow funds and autarchies to prioritize the most sensitive areas. In practice, the ordinance will provide a technical basis for the PPCerrado, PLANAVEG, and enforcement actions by IBAMA and ICMBio, ensuring that environmental protection is aligned with sustainability.
The Future of Water Management
The ordinance establishes a symbolic and instrumental landmark. By recognizing that a standing Cerrado is a strategic asset for water security, the government reinforces the need to combat deforestation as a preventive measure against the water crisis.
As Yuri Salmona aptly points out:
Today’s deforestation is tomorrow’s water scarcity. Protection and restoration are our water savings for the future. With scientific guidance in hand, what we are doing now is deciding what water future the country wants to contract.
With this direction, Brazil now seeks to optimize resource use and ensure that future generations do not suffer from the depletion of the sources that currently pulse in the heart of the national territory.
