Abstract
Small and shallow alluvial aquifers in arid and semi-arid regions compose an important water system that smallholder farmers rely on for irrigation and livestock feeding. Geological settings and the small scale of these aquifers suggest the need for governance at the local level, but research supporting its development is still scarce. Treating a case of alluvial aquifers exploited by smallholder farmers located in the Brazilian semi-arid region as a common pool resource (CPR), this paper analyses the governance of a social-ecological system (SES) for which an alluvial aquifer is an essential source of water. The paper applies the SES Framework to analyse the SES in light of Ostrom’s principles for sustainable CPR management to answer the questions: (1) can the governance arrangements support sustainable common pool resource management of the alluvial aquifers? (2) what opportunities are there to make the management of the aquifer more sustainable through community-based governance? (3) can Ostrom’s design principles lead the transition to more sustainable governance of alluvial aquifers? Despite a water policy aiming for decentralisation and participatory governance, gaps in the implementation of these policies are identified. Taking into account the challenges imposed by the aquifer characteristics to impact efficient groundwater exploitation, equity in water distribution and conservation of the CPR, the analysis reveals opportunities to improve CPR management by supporting the community to increase participation in the governance of the aquifer in coordination with existing policies. This work concludes with suggestions that could empower community progress towards more sustainable governance of the aquifer.
Résumé
Des aquifères alluviaux petits et peu profonds en régions aride et semi-aride constituent un important système d’eau dont dépendent de petits exploitants agricoles pour l’irrigation et l’alimentation du bétail. Les contextes géologiques et la petite échelle de ces aquifères suggèrent la nécessité d’une gouvernance au niveau local, mais la recherche soutenant son développement est. encore rare. Traitant un cas d’aquifères alluviaux exploités par les petits exploitants situés dans la région semi-aride brésilienne comme une ressource d’usage commun (RUC), cet article analyse la gouvernance d’un système social-écologique (SSE) pour lequel un aquifère alluvial est. une source essentielle d’eau. Cet article applique le cadre SSE pour analyser le SSE à la lumière des principes d’Ostrom pour une gestion durable d’un RUC afin de répondre aux questions suivantes: (1) les arrangements de gouvernance peuvent-ils soutenir une gestion durable des ressources communes des aquifères alluviaux? (2) quelles sont les opportunités pour rendre la gestion de l’aquifère plus durable grâce à une gouvernance communautaire? (3) les principes de conception d’Ostrom peuvent-ils conduire à une transition vers une gouvernance plus durable des aquifères alluviaux? Malgré une politique de l’eau visant la décentralisation et la gouvernance participative, des lacunes dans la mise en œuvre de ces politiques sont identifiées. Compte tenu des défis imposés par les caractéristiques des aquifères visant à influer sur l’exploitation efficace des eaux souterraines, l’équité dans la distribution de l’eau et la conservation du RUC, l’analyse révèle des possibilités d’améliorer la gestion du RUC en aidant la collectivité à accroître sa participation dans la gouvernance de l’aquifère en coordination avec les politiques existantes. Ce travail se termine par des suggestions qui pourraient permettre aux communautés de progresser vers une gouvernance plus durable de l’aquifère.
Resumen
Los acuíferos aluviales reducidos y poco profundos de las regiones áridas y semiáridas componen un importante sistema de agua del que dependen los pequeños agricultores para el riego y la alimentación del ganado. El entorno geológico y la limitada escala de esos acuíferos sugieren la necesidad de una gobernanza a nivel local, pero las investigaciones que apoyan su desarrollo siguen siendo escasas. Tratando un caso de acuíferos aluviales explotados por pequeños agricultores ubicados en la región semiárida del Brasil como un recurso de reserva comunitaria (CPR), en este documento se analiza la gobernanza de un sistema socioecológico (SES) para el que un acuífero aluvial es una fuente esencial de agua. En el documento se aplica el marco del SES para analizar el SES a la luz de los principios de Ostrom para la gestión sostenible de la CPR a fin de responder a las preguntas: (1) ¿Pueden las disposiciones de gobernanza apoyar la gestión sostenible de los recursos de la reserva comunitaria de los acuíferos aluviales? (2) ¿Qué oportunidades hay de hacer más sostenible la gestión del acuífero mediante una gobernanza basada en la comunidad? (3) ¿Pueden los principios de diseño de Ostrom liderar la transición hacia una gobernanza más sostenible de los acuíferos aluviales? A pesar de que la política de aguas tiene por objeto la descentralización y la gobernanza participativa, se han detectado lagunas en la aplicación de esas políticas. Teniendo en cuenta los desafíos que imponen las características del acuífero para influir en la explotación eficiente de las aguas subterráneas, la equidad en la distribución del agua y la conservación de la CPR, el análisis revela oportunidades para mejorar la gestión de la CPR apoyando a la comunidad para aumentar la participación en la gobernanza del acuífero en coordinación con las políticas existentes. Esta labor concluye con sugerencias que podrían potenciar el progreso de la comunidad hacia una gobernanza más sostenible del acuífero.
摘要
干旱半干旱地区小而浅的冲积含水层为小农灌溉和饲养牲畜提供了重要水源。地质环境以及小尺度含水层表明需要在地方层面进行管理,但支持这方面发展的研究仍然很少。本文以巴西半干旱区小农户开发的冲积含水层作为公共池塘资源(CPR),分析了以冲积含水层为主要水源的社会生态系统(SES)管理问题。根据Ostrom的可持续CPR管理原则,应用SES框架对SES进行分析,并回答以下问题:(1)管理计划能否满足冲积含水层可持续公共池塘资源的管理?(2)以社区为单元的管理会为可持续性含水层管理带来哪些益处?(3)Ostrom的设计原则能否有助于更可持续冲积含水层管理?尽管存在旨在权力下放和参与管理的水政策,但实施政策时仍存在不足。考虑到含水层特性影响有效地下水开采、CPR中水资源分配及保护的公平性的问题,该分析揭示了通过支持社区增加参与含水层管理,并满足现有政策来改善CPR管理的可能性。这项工作最后提出了社区在更可持续地管理含水层的作用一些建议。
Resumo
Aquíferos aluviais pequenos e rasos em regiões áridas e semiáridas compõem sistemas hidrológicos importantes para pequenos agricultores que os utilizam para irrigação de culturas de subsistência e de forragem. As características geológicas e a pequena escala destes aquíferos sugerem a necessidade de governança a nível local, mas pesquisas subsidiando este desenvolvimento ainda são escassas. Tratando um aquífero aluvial explotado por pequenos irrigantes na região semiárida brasileira como um caso de recurso de uso comum (RUC), este artigo analisa a governança de um sistema socioecológico (SSE) para o qual o aquífero aluvial é uma fonte de água essencial. O artigo emprega a concepção estrutural de um SSE para analisar o caso específico à luz dos princípios de Ostrom para gestão sustentável do RUC e responder às perguntas: (1) podem os arranjos de governança apoiar a gestão sustentável do recurso de uso comum em aquíferos aluviais? (2) quais oportunidades existem para a gestão mais sustentável do aquífero através da governança pela comunidade? (3) os princípios de Ostrom são capazes de orientar a transição para a governança mais sustentável de aquíferos aluviais? Apesar da política de recursos hídricos visar a descentralização e a governança participativa, lacunas na implementação destas políticas são identificadas. Considerando os desafios impostos pelo impacto das características do aquífero na explotação eficiente das águas subterrâneas, na equidade da distribuição da água e na conservação do RUC, a análise revela oportunidades para melhorar a gestão do RUC através do suporte à comunidade para aumentar a sua participação na governança do aquífero em coordenação com as políticas existentes. Este artigo conclui com sugestões que podem fortalecer os avanços da comunidade na governança mais sustentável do aquífero.
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The authors would like to thank the editors and anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions that helped to improve the paper. The research reported in this paper was funded by the Brazilian Agencies CAPES (Finance Code 001), CNPq (grants 550059/2014-8 and 310789/2016-8), FINEP (grant 01.13.0340.00) and FAPESQ/PB, through the R&D Project “BRAMAR - Strategies and Technologies for Water Scarcity Mitigation in Northeast of Brazil: Water Reuse, Managed Aquifer Recharge and Integrated Water Resources Management”.
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Tsuyuguchi, B.B., Morgan, E.A., Rêgo, J.C. et al. Governance of alluvial aquifers and community participation: a social-ecological systems analysis of the Brazilian semi-arid region. Hydrogeol J 28, 1539–1552 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-020-02160-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-020-02160-8