Application of indices for water resource systems stress assessment

Abstract

This paper aims to present a methodology to conduct a water stress assessment of water resources systems through indices. The proposed methodology was applied to Cantareira System, which is one of the most important water supply systems of São Paulo Metropolitan Region (SPMR). The authors used two indices to support this evaluation: Normalized Deficit Index (NDI) and Normalized Deficit Cumulated (NDC). Both of them consider only the natural flow as the renewable source of water (supply), and account for natural and anthropic uses of this water (demand) as a way to determine the dependence level that the area relies on endogenous and/or exogenous sources of water to meet its needs. To support this assessment, two meteorological drought indices were used as well: the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Drought Magnitude (DM). The diagnosis of a water supply system, a country, region or even district, based on indices that represent the local water risk, is extremely important not only to bring a better understanding of extreme events, such as droughts and floods, but also to support strategic decision-making process regarding water resources management. This sort of assessment is a useful tool, for instance, in indicating eventual necessity of water storage, such as large reservoirs, or interbasin water transfers, which could improve the water security levels of the study unit.

Temporal trend of drought and aridity indices in semi-arid pernambucano to determine susceptibility to desertification

“…The results obtained by these authors were similar to those of the Brígida river basin, where it was also found that dry periods are intensifying, which can bring problems of water availability in the region, especially with regard to the level of accumulation of reservoirs used for human supply. Faro et al (2019) estimated the SPI to evaluate water stress in the Cantareira System, one of the main water producing systems in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (RMSP) in the Brazil, from 1983 to 2018. These authors verified that from the year 2000, despite an attenuated period between 2009 and 2011, the trend of growth of system deficits began to occur more intensely, with a greater gradient, considering both the volume and magnitude of the duration of the drought event.…”

High Resolution Mapping of Nitrate Loads of a Reservoir Using an Uncrewed Surface Vehicle: Potential Opportunities and Challenges

“…For example, the water level of a reservoir is measured hourly, and the water quality is monitored at weekly or longer. These different sampling frequencies of water quality and quantity of the reservoir are a potential source of uncertainties in assessing the availability of water resources (water quantity: Faro et al., 2019; Gosling & Arnell, 2016; Luo et al., 2020; water quality: Al‐Omran et al., 2015; Schoumans et al., 2014; Reynolds et al., 2016; Cassidy & Jordan, 2011). Over the last decade, new technologies have been implemented for efficient water quality monitoring and bathymetric surveys.…”

Panorama da gestão de bacias críticas no Brasil

“…Uma estratégia para avaliar aspectos de escassez hídrica é por meio de indicadores de estresse hídrico como apresentado por Faro et al (2019) e Silva et al (2022). No Brasil, almejando o equilíbrio entre a demanda e a oferta de água, a Agência Nacional de Águas e Saneamento Básico (ANA), em conjunto com o Ministério do Desenvolvimento Regional, elaborou o Plano Nacional de Segurança Hídrica (Agência Nacional de Águas, 2019a) baseado no Índice de Segurança Hídrica -ISH.…”