Baseflow and water resilience variability in two water management units in southeastern Brazil

Authors

Lucas Vituri Santarosa, São Paulo State UniversityFollow
Didier Gastmans, São Paulo State University
Troy E. Gilmore, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Jan Boll, Washington State University
Sebastian Balbin Betancur, São Paulo State University
Vitor Fidelis Monteiro Gonçalves, Instituto Dom Bosco de Ensino

ORCID IDs

Lucas Vituri Santarosa http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7180-7715

Didier Gastmans http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1340-3373

Troy E. Gilmore http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9939-4780

Jan Boll http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7202-5299

Vitor Fidelis Monteiro Gonçalves http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1686-1836

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

1-20-2022

Citation

Published in International Journal of River Basin Management 2022

doi:10.1080/15715124.2021.2002346

Comments

Copyright © 2022 International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research; published by Taylor & Francis. Used by permission.

Abstract

Changes in climate and water demand in densely populated regions increasingly affect hydrological systems, and, in turn, impact socioeconomic conditions. In this case study, we identify how the hydrogeological frameworks of two water resource management units, Tietê-Jacaré (TJ) and Piracicaba-Capivari-Jundiaí (PCJ) in Sao Paulo state (Brazil), control the baseflow processes and resilience in the face of streamflow fluctuations in response to anthropogenic activities and climate variation. The results reveal between 40% and 75% contributions of baseflow to total streamflow in basins overlying crystalline and sedimentary aquifers. The basins in PCJ which mostly overly crystalline aquifers, have shorter water residence times and greater dependence on surface water. Therefore, streamflow in the PCJ basins is vulnerable during the drought period and the management model affected the water resilience of the basins (transfer of water to Cantareira System). The TJ basins have greater streamflow contributions from aquifer discharge linked to the presence of important sedimentary aquifers, which improves resilience under changing rainfall patterns, these basins present a more stable situation of resilience. Ultimately, the two management units require different planning strategies with adaptive and dynamic actions to mitigate the social, economic, and environmental effects caused by the variability and reduction of water sources.