With the worsening of the drought in the Pantanal basin, the National Water Agency warns of the situation

The lack of rain and temperatures above the historical average in the Upper Paraguay Basin, which covers Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso, points to the worsening of the drought situation in both states. To address the issue, authorities responsible for the issue met this Tuesday (7), in the crisis room, in a virtual meeting, called by ANA (National Water Agency) with presentations by technicians from Cemaden (National Center for Monitoring and Natural Disaster Alerts) and the National Electric System Operator.

The states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso are already in a drought situation, according to data from Cemaden. The majority of rural properties in the State are facing drought – severe and moderate -, and so far, only 5% of the territory of Mato Grosso do Sul does not face water shortages. The problem is worsening due to the high temperatures recorded, which are expected to continue in the coming weeks, putting further pressure on water resources and the health of vegetation, which could increase the likelihood of forest fires occurring.

For the current quarter – which comprises the months of May, June and July -, a decline in the influence of the El Niño phenomenon is expected and from next month onwards, La Niña, a phenomenon originating in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, will interfere with the climate. For now, there is no forecast of improvement in the distribution of rainfall, meaning the drought situation is likely to continue. What is expected to occur is a sudden drop in temperatures with the arrival of winter – starting in June -, under the effect of La Niña.

Due to the drought situation and imminent water shortage, ANA’s technical staff prepared a note to issue a ‘declaration of water scarcity’. The measure must be evaluated by the ANA board in the coming days and, after a decision, it must come into force. With the ‘declaration of water scarcity’, water distribution concession companies can even impose emergency tariffs to pay for additional works or services in order to avoid shortages, explained ANA superintendent, Patrick Tadeu Thomas.

“Thus, considering the current hydrometeorological situation of the Upper Paraguay basin (Pantanal), which ends the rainy season with the Paraguay River presenting water levels moving between the minimum values ​​recorded for the season, and the prospect of rainfall below the average for the period from April to June, in which, according to the climatological normal, low precipitation values ​​are expected, it is considered important to establish a Crisis Room with the objective of monitoring and enabling measures to mitigate the impacts of drought on the uses of water. water until the beginning of the next rainy season in the basin”, states the ANA technical note.

The opinion also considered that among the possible impacts of the drought on the use of water are the compromise of abstractions for human supply, as is the case in the cities of Porto Murtinho, Corumbá – which is supplied by the Paraguay River – and Ladário, in addition to navigation commercial activity on the river, which could be harmed by lack of draft (water depth). Another concern is the possibility of an increase in heat sources, which could lead to forest fires occurring in the region during the dry period.

With the river level below the historical average for the period, and expected to reduce even further, there is a possibility that water abstraction will be suspended or that investments will be necessary to continue the service.

The members of the Upper Paraguay Basin crisis room will meet again on June 4th, also in a virtual format, to assess the situation in the region and the need for other measures to combat the drought. In addition to Cemaden, ONS and ANA, the crisis room includes representatives from the Geological Survey of Brazil, INMET (National Institute of Meteorology), Inpe (National Institute for Space Research), Imasul (National Institute of the Environment of Mato Grosso do South), Cemtec/MS (Weather and Climate Monitoring Center), among other institutions.

João Prestes, Semadesc
Natalia Yahn, Communication Government of MS (collaboration)
Photos: Bruno Rezende