Editorial note

Abstract

Economic and social development depends on the availability of surface water and groundwater resources that are influenced by the demand of society multiplied by several activities and different uses of water resources of river basins.Management of water resources is therefore an essential component in the economic and social strategic planning of the basin, and the water quality is an important indicator of use and occupation of land conditions and is related to the spatial and dynamic temporal processes occurring in the basin.Data of the Brazilian National Water Agency indicate that approximately 70% of the rivers belonging to the basins of Brazil are seriously compromised by higher pollution levels. Inadequate occupation and management of soil, disposal of industrial wastes, uncontrolled use of pesticides and fertilizers, deforestation, mining practices and lack of sewage treatment are affecting the water quality.Within this context, in this Brazilian Journal of Biology number are presented 17 papers regarding on the integrated analysis of water quality and environmental aspects in urban and rural basins in Brazil, represented by the basins of the rivers Mourão, Pirapó and Paranapanema III and IV (Paraná state), dos Sinos (Rio Grande do Sul state) and Bacanga (Maranhão state).