GEO Brasil - UNEP

carried out as far as requests for grants
are concerned, since the impacts may
cause great damage to society
In the Southeast, conflicts around use
of the waters of the Paraíba do Sul,
Piracicaba and Capivari Rivers, among
others, are more evident In the South
of the country, in the Aranguá, Itajái,
Tubarão, Jacuí and low Uruguay
Basins an enormous demand for
water for the irrigation of rice
plantations is the most visible
example
the state of the environment in Brazil
Noticeably, in consumption usage, the
water that returns to the river has its
quality altered and it is inferior to that
which was withdrawn Its dilution
affects the quality of the entire water
body In the case of the use of water
for agricultural purposes, the irrigation
methods may be improved and, with
proper handling, pollution resulting
from sedimentation, fertilisers and
agrochemicals, which are the focus of
significant degradation of water
resources today, may be minimised
Figure 3 - N avigable Ways
14
Navigation
Navigation may be considered the
most overlooked among the demands
for utilisation of inland water
resources in the country In the
present state of affairs, river
transportation plays an important role
by lowering costs in general,
integrating new areas of mineral,
agricultural, cattle raising and
industrial production, and by
generating a regional development
process Besides its energetic
efficiency, waterways offer low
maintenance costs and provide a
burden relief in relation to the
expensive conservation of highways
in tropical regions
Chart 4 shows a list of the main
navigable courses in the country and
the extension of stretches used for
Source: Ministry of Transportation-STA/DHI
83