FERNANDO URQUIDI BARRAU

SAO PAULO – BrazilJUNE 2012 Academia Nacional de Ciencias de Bolivia

INTRODUCTIONSouth America is a large continent with a

great amount of water resources; these resources are shared by two or more countries through transboundary basins.

About 85 percent of the surface freshwater resources flow through three large basins:

The Orinoco River Basin The Amazon River Basin The Rio de la Plata Basin

The remaining 15 percent flow through thecourse of several smaller basins.

South America has more than 30 water international transboundary basins, of which only six have signed freshwater treaties/agreements to use or to protect them.

The challenge for all the countries is to identify these basins as transboundary, and to choose the appropriate institutional organization model for the management and protection of these shared resource.

INTRODUCTION

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MAP OF TRANSBOUNDARY BASINS IN SOUTH AMERICA

Source: Oregon State University.TFDD, 2001Becci Dale, cartographer

TRANSBOUNDARY SURFACE WATERS

BASINTOTAL AREA(km²)

COUNTRIESSURFACE IN THE BASIN

(km²)

SURFACE IN THE BASIN

(%)

Amaruco 5,600 Venezuela Guiana

4,900700

86.8913.11

Amazon 6,916,000

BrazilPerúBoliviaColombiaEcuadorVenezuelaGuianaSurinameFrench Guiana

5,014,100762,143600,308336,809130,02051,17817,1201,382

30

72.5011.028.684.871.880.740.250.020.00

Comau 980 ChileArgentina

90080

91.368.64

Corantijn/Courantyne 41,800GuianaSurinameBrazil

21,70019,900

80

52.0647.750.19

Cullen 600 ChileArgentina

500100

83.0017.00

TRANSBOUNDARY SURFACE WATERS

BASINTOTAL AREA(km²)

COUNTRIESSURFACE IN THE BASIN

(km²)

SURFACE IN THE BASIN

(%)

Chira-Catamayo 15,700 PerúEcuador

9,8005,800

62.2337.23

Jurado 700 ColombiaPanamá

500200

71.4228.58

Lago Fagnano 3,200 ArgentinaChile

2,700500

85.1714.83

Laguna Mirim 55,000 UruguayBrazil

31,20023,800

56.6943.24

Oiapoque 23,300 French GuianaBrazil

13,7009,500

58.9241.00

Orinoco 927,400VenezuelaColombiaBrazil

604,500321,700

800

65.1834.680.08

Palena 13,300 ChileArgentina

7,3006,000

54.8745.13

Pascua 13,700 ChileArgentina

7,3006,400

53.5146.46

TRANSBOUNDARY SURFACE WATERS

BASINTOTAL AREA(km²)

COUNTRIESSURFACE IN THE BASIN

(km²)

SURFACE IN THE BASIN

(%)

Patia 21,300 ColombiaEcuador

20,800500

97.612.38

Puelo 8,400 ArgentinaChile

5,5002,900

66.0333.97

Rio de la Plata 3,100,000(4,144,000)

BrazilArgentinaParaguayBoliviaUruguay

1,395,000930,000403,000217,000155,000

45,0030,0013,007.005.00

Titicaca - Poopo 111,800BoliviaPerúChile

63,00048,000

800

56.3242.940.70

Yelcho 11,100 ArgentinaChile

6,9004,200

62.1437.86

Zapaleri 2,600ChileArgentinaBolivia

1,600500500

59.6019.6519.65

Zarumilla 4,300 EcuadorPerú

3,400900

78.7121.29

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Orinoco River

Orinoco River

Treaties:• No signed international treaties Venezuela Colombia Brazil

• Area: 927,400 km²

• Average waterdischarge: 36,000 m³/s

• River length : 2,140 km

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Cachuela Esperanza

Beni River

Treaties:• 4 international treaties signed Brazil Perú Bolivia Colombia Ecuador Venezuela Guiana Suriname French Guiana

• Area: 6,916,000 km²

• Average water discharge:209,000 m³/s

• River length : 6,400 km

AMAZON RIVER BASIN

Only majorrivers are visualized

AMAZON RIVER BASIN

Estuary of Amazon River

AMAZON RIVER BASIN

Amazon River

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Paraguay River

Treaties:18 international treaties signed Brazil Argentina Paraguay Bolivia Uruguay

• Area: 3,100,000 km²(4,144,000 km²)

• Average waterdischarge: 22,793 m³/s

• River length: 4,800 km

Iguazú Waterfalls

Only major rivers are visualized

RIO DE LA PLATA BASIN

RIVERS BASIN AREA (km²) LENGTH (km) MEAN FLOW

(m³/sec)

Paraná 1,600,000 2,570 17,140

Uruguay 440,000 1,850 4,300

Iguazú 61,000 1,320 1,540

Paraguay 1,095,000 2,415 3,810

Bermejo 120,000 1,780 550

Pilcomayo 272,000 1,125 195

De la Plata 3,100,000 270 23,000 – 28,000

RIO DE LA PLATA BASINCHARACTERISTICS OF THE MAJOR RIVERS

Source: UNEP, 2004

Satellite image of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers converging into the Río de la Plata

Two sub basins of the Plata Basin flowing from Bolivia:

• Sub Basin Pilcomayo

• Sub Basin Bermejo

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CASE STUDY

LAKE TITICACA –POOPO BASIN

LAKE TITICACA – POOPO BASIN

Endorheic Basin of 110,800 km² locatedin the Altiplano of Bolivia and Peru

Primary Inflow: 27 rivers

Primary Outflows: Desaguadero

River Evaporation

Major Sub-Basins: Lake Titicaca Desaguadero

River Lake Poopo Coipasa Salt Lake

• The surface of Lake Titicaca is evenly distributed between Bolivia and Peru, these countries exercise an ‘exclusive and indivisible joint ownership’ over its waters.• The joint ownership model not only applies to the water of Lake Titicaca, but also to the entire watershed, to ensure an integrated management of the water system.• To manage the System, Bolivia and Peru have signed a treaty for the creation of the Autonomous Binational Authority of Lake Titicaca (ATL).• This entity of public international law has two national operative units to promote and conduct programmes and projects, and to implement and enforce the regulations on management, control and protection of the system’s water resources within an adopted Master Plan.• ATL’s political functioning is associated with the Peruvian and Bolivian Ministries of Foreign Affairs.• ATL has administration, planning and coordination units within each government.

THE BINATIONAL AUTONOMOUS AUTHORITY OF LAKE TITICACA (ATL)

THE BINATIONAL AUTONOMOUS AUTHORITY OF LAKE TITICACA (ATL)

• Five previous agreements, through Exchange of Diplomatic Notes.• December 1992 - Creation de of the Binational Entity, to execute the

Master Plan of the System.• 1996 - Creation of the Binational Autonomous Authority of Lake

Titicaca (ATL).

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TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS IN

SOUTH AMERICA

Source: UNESCO/OAS ISARM AmericasProgramme

Map Nr. Transboundary Aquifer Countries Nr.

1 Guarani Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina 4

2 Yrenda-Toba-Tarijeno Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina 3

3 Salto Chico – Salto Chico Argentina, Uruguay 24 Litoreano-Chuy Brazil, Uruguay 25 Puerto Yerua-Las Mercedes Argentina, Uruguay 26 Probable Argentina, Chile 27 El Condor Argentina, Chile 28 Calua Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina 3

9 Serra Gerai-Serra Gerai Arapei Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina 4

10 Ignimbritas Cordillera Occidental Bolivia, Chile, Perú 3

11 Solmoes Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú 5

12 Jaci Parani y Pareci Bolivia, Brazil 2

UNESCO/OAS ISARM AMERICAS PROGRAMME TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS

Map Nr. Transboundary Aquifer Countries Nr.

13 Pantanal Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay 314 Permianos Brazil, Uruguay 215 Ica Brazil, Colombia 216 Sedimentos Paleo-Proterozoico Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela 317 Serra do Tucano Brazil, Guyana 218 Boa Vista Brazil, Guyana 219 Sem Denominacao Brazil, Guyana 220 Costeiro Brazil, Guyana 221 Fumas e Alto Gracas Brazil, Paraguay 222 Zarumila - Machala Ecuador, Perú 223 Concorda - Capilna Chile, Perú 224 Silala Bolivia, Chile 225 Puna Argentina, Chile 226 Tulcan Colombia, Ecuador 2

UNESCO/OAS ISARM AMERICAS PROGRAMME TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS

Map Nr. Transboundary Aquifer Countries Nr.

27 Aquidauana - Aquidaban Brazil, Paraguay 228 Agua Dulce Palmar de las Islas Bolivia, Paraguay 229 Titicaca Bolivia, Perú 230 Arauca Colombia, Venezuela 231 Guajra Colombia, Venezuela 232 San Antonio Urena Santander Colombia, Venezuela 233 Sedimentos Grupo Roraima Brazil, Venezuela 234 Sanderj; Coesewjne; A-Sand Guyana, Suriname 235 Jurado - Coto Colombia, Panamá 263 Rio Negro - Itapucumi Bolivia, Paraguay 264 Tumbes - Puyango Ecuador, Perú 265 Chira - Catamayo Ecuador, Perú 2--- Laguna Blanca - Maure Perú, Bolivia, Chile 3--- Ollague - Chiguana Bolivia, Chile 2

UNESCO/OAS ISARM AMERICAS PROGRAMME TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS

CASE STUDY

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GUARANI AQUIFER SYSTEM

Shared by: Brazil Paraguay Argentina Uruguay

GUARANI AQUIFER SYSTEM• The Guarani Aquifer System (GAS) constitutes one of the largest reservoirs of groundwater in the world.

• The water in the Mesozoic sandstones can be found at depths between 50 m to 1500 m covered by thick layers of basalts.

• It contains an estimated 37,000 km³ of water, with a total recharge rate of about 166 km³/year from precipitation.

CASE STUDY

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THE SILALA AQUIFER SYSTEM

Location Map

22º

• The Silala Aquifer System discharges 500 liters/sec through more than 80 (in Bolivia) and 23 (in Chile) natural water springs.• All the water is confined in a highly jointed Miocene ignimbrite at a depth between 50 m to 150 m.• The sodium bicarbonate type “A” freshwater is 10,000 years old, free of arsenic and other contaminants. The surface water flows west towards Chile through man-made open channels.

SILALA AQUIFER SYSTEM

SilalaBolivian Side

Northern Bofedal

Southern Bofedal

SilalaBolivian Side

Main Open Channel

Main Gorge

Silala Chilean Side

Main Gorge

Fractured Ignimbrite

Main Gorge

Open Channels

CASE STUDY

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Superficial Total Areal: 300.000 km2Geological Formation: • Quaternary / Tertiary non-consolidated sediments• Multi surface - Semi confined aquifer

Location Map

YRENDA – TOBA –TARIJEÑO

AQUIFER SYSTEM

Source: Pasig, R. - 2005

Recharging Areas of the Tarijeño Aquifer

Caiza River Pilcomayo River

Infiltration:

1. Direct rain waterfall (Piedemont sector /Aguarague)

2. Surface water courses(creeks and rivers / Pilcomayo Riverand Caiza River)

Range of the Aguarague

Source: Pasig, R. - 2005

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• The water crisis is primarily one of governance: institutions lack the capacity to overcome conflicting approaches in the use and allocation of water from within one basin or aquifer system, both at national and transboundary level• Water-related systems are interdependent and have to be managed in an integrated manner• Despite an increased dependency on groundwater resources, transboundary aquifers have received little attention in international law

CONCLUSIONS

THANKS

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MAP OF TRANSBOUNDARY BASINS IN SOUTH AMERICA

Source: National University of El Litoral, Argentina

LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIESTREATY NAME COUNTRIES DATE TREATY BASIN

AMAZON BASINExchange of notes constituting an agreement for the construction of a hydroelectric plant in CachuelaEsperanza, supplementary to theagreement on economic and technical cooperation.

BrazilBolivia

August 2, 1988

BeniMadeiraMamore

Agreement concerning the Cachuela Esperanza hydroelectric plant.

BrazilBolivia

February 8, 1984 Beni

Treaty for Amazonian Cooperation.

BoliviaBrazilColombia EcuadorGuainaPerúSurinameVenezuela

July 3, 1978 Amazon

Termination of the demarcation of the Peruvian-Ecuadorean frontier

PerúEcuador

May 22, 1944

Amazon, Chira,Tumbes, Zarumilla

TREATY NAME COUNTRIES DATE TREATY BASIN

RIO DE LA PLATA BASINAgreement for the use of natural resources and the development of the Cuareim river basin.

BrazilUruguay

May 6,1997 Cuareim

Agreement constituting the trilateral commission for thedevelopment of the Pilcomayo river basin.

ArgentinaBoliviaParaguay

September 2, 1995 Pilcomayo

Agreement for the multiple uses of the resources of the upper basin of the Bermejo river and the Grande de Tarija river.

ArgentinaBolivia

June 9,1995

BermejoGrande de Tarija

Agreement of cooperation for the use of natural resources andthe development of the basin of the Cuareim river

BrazilUruguay

March 11, 1991 Cuareim

Complementary agreement to the basic scientific and technical cooperation agreement in the area of water resources

BrazilUruguay

March 11, 1991 Not specified

LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

TREATY NAME COUNTRIES DATE TREATY BASINDecree No. 88.441 promulgating the agreement for water resources exploitation within the Uruguay river and its effluent the Pepiri-Guazu river

BrazilArgentina

June 29, 1983

Pepiri-Guazu,Uruguay

Treaty for the development of the water resources contained in the border reaches of the Uruguay river and its effluent, the Pepiri-Guazu river.

BrazilArgentina

May 17,1980

Pepiri-Guazu,Uruguay

Agreement on Paraná River projects

ArgentinaBrazilParaguay

October 19, 1979 Paraná

Statute of the Uruguay River in Salto, Eastern of Uruguay

ArgentinaUruguay

February 26, 1975 Uruguay

Treaty concerning the hydroelectric utilization of the water resources of the Parana River owned in condominium by Brazil and Paraguay.

BrazilParaguay

April 26, 1973

Iguassu,Paraná

LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

TREATY NAME COUNTRIES DATE TREATY BASINTreaty on the boundaryconstituted by the Uruguay river

ArgentinaUruguay

April 7,1961 Uruguay

Agreement concerning a study of the utilization of the water power of the Apipe Falls

ArgentinaParaguay

January 23, 1958 Paraná

Agreement concerning cooperation in a study on the utilization of the water power of the Acaray and Monday rivers

BrazilParaguay

January 20, 1956

AcarayMonday

Agreement concerning the utilization of the rapids ofthe Uruguay river in the Salto Grande area

Argentina; Uruguay

December 30, 1946 Uruguay

Supplementary boundary treaty on the river Pilcomayo and protocol annexed to the treaty

ArgentinaParaguay

June 1,1945 Pilcomayo

Supplementary boundary treaty ArgentinaParaguay

July 5,1939 Pilcomayo

LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

TREATY NAME COUNTRIES DATE TREATY BASINConvention to determine the legal status of the frontier between Brazil and Uruguay

BrazilUruguay

December 20, 1933

Frontier or sharedWaters

Protocol between Uruguay and Argentina dealing with the questions of the jurisdiction of the River Plate

Argentina Uruguay

January 5, 1910 Rio de la Plata

CHUYComplementary agreement to the basic scientific and technical cooperation agreement in the area of water resources

BrazilUruguay

March 11, 1991 Not specified

Convention regarding the determination of the legalstatus of the frontier between Brazil and Uruguay

BrazilUruguay

December 20, 1933

Frontier orshared waters

MARONIConvention to fix the frontier of Surinamee and French Guiana

France Netherlands

September 30, 1915

Maroni,Marowinjne

LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

TREATY NAME COUNTRIES DATE TREATY BASIN

LAGOON MIRINConvention regarding the determination of the legal status of the frontier between Brazil and Uruguay

BrazilUruguay

December 20, 1933

Frontier or sharedWaters

Protocol between Uruguay and Argentina dealing with the questions of the jurisdiction of the River Plate

Argentina Uruguay

January 5, 1910 Rio de la Plata

Complementary agreement to the basic scientific and technical cooperation agreement in the area of water resources

BrazilUruguay

March 11, 1991 Not specified

Convention regarding the determination of the legalstatus of the frontier between Brazil and Uruguay

BrazilUruguay

December 20, 1933

Frontier orshared waters

LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

TREATY NAME COUNTRIES DATE TREATY BASIN

LAKE TITICACA - POOPOExchange of Diplomatic Notes related to the creation of the Autonomous Binational Authority of the Basin of the Lake Titicaca, Desaguadero River, Lake Poopóand Coipasa Salt Flat System

BoliviaPerú

June 21,1993

Desaguadero,Poopó, Salar deCoipasa,Titicaca

Agreement on a preliminary economic study of the joint utilization of the waters of Lake Titicaca

BoliviaPerú

February 19, 1957 Lake Titicaca

Preliminary convention concerning a study of the joint utilization of the waters of Lake Titicaca

BoliviaPerú

July 30,1955 Lake Titicaca

Exchange of Diplomatic Notes establishing a joint commission for study of the Puno-Guaquirailway line and joint use of the waters of Lake Titicaca

BoliviaPerú

April 20, 1955 Lake Titicaca

LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences – IANAS Water Programme.

Organization of American States / Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment (OAS / USDE).

Comité Regional de Recursos Hídricos (CRRH). Global Water Partnership / South American Technical

Advisory Committee (GWP / SAMTAC). International Hydrological Programme (IHP – UNESCO). Hydrology for International Environment and Network Data. Flow Regimes from Integral Experimental and Network Data

(FRIEND). ISARMAC / Americas - Internationally Shared Aquifer

Resources Management. World-wide Hydrogeological Mapping and Assessment

Programme (WHYMAP).

LIST OF REGIONAL WATER PROGRAMMES

Centro del Agua para Zonas Aridas y Semiáridas del ALC (CAZALAC).

Centro del Agua para el Trópico Húmedo del ALC (CATHALAC).

Project for the Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development of the Guarani Aquifer System.

Strategic Action Programme for the Binational Basin of the Bermejo River.

Development and Implementation of Mechanisms to Disseminated Lessons Learned and Experiences in Integrated Transboundary Water Resources Management in Latin America and Caribbean – DELTAmerica.

The Integrated Watershed Management Practices for the Pantanal and Upper Paraguay River Basin Project.

Inter-American Water Resources Network (IWRN) - UNESCO.

LIST OF REGIONAL WATER PROGRAMMES