National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Earth System Science Center, São José dos Campos 12227010, SP, Brazil.
Public Ministry of the State of Minas Gerais, Uberaba 38010140, MG, Brazil.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Nov 19;15(11):2582. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15112582.
Water resources are fundamental for the social and economic development of a country and sustainability is the best approach to treat water-related problems. Therefore, sustainability studies of water resources are deemed urgent. Sustainability analysis methods should enable space-temporal monitoring, decision-making, and development of policies necessary for water governance. Furthermore, sustainability analysis methods should also integrate environment and socioeconomic variables into a single system. In this context, this study aimed to assess the water sustainability conditions of the River Grande Basin (BHRG), Brazil, before the implementation of the Integrated Water Resources Plan (IWRP), using the Barometer of Sustainability tool (BS). The River Grande basin was in an "almost unsustainable" condition and under high environmental stress. A significant imbalance between environmental and human well-being in the system was also observed. To achieve an acceptable sustainability condition, it is thus necessary to improve the environmental quality of the area. Among the priority thematic area, native vegetation recovery was the most urgent. Overall, the sustainability study based on the BS not only facilitates comprehension regarding environment and human interrelationships, but also provide references for policy formulations and water management.
水资源是一个国家社会和经济发展的基础，可持续性是解决与水有关问题的最佳方法。因此，对水资源的可持续性研究迫在眉睫。可持续性分析方法应能够进行时空监测、决策，并制定必要的水治理政策。此外，可持续性分析方法还应将环境和社会经济变量纳入一个单一的系统。在这种情况下，本研究旨在使用可持续性指标工具（BS）评估巴西大格兰德河（BHRG）流域在实施综合水资源计划（IWRP）之前的水资源可持续性状况。大格兰德流域处于“几乎不可持续”的状态，环境压力很大。系统中环境和人类福祉之间也存在显著的失衡。因此，要实现可接受的可持续性条件，就必须改善该地区的环境质量。在优先主题领域中，恢复本地植被最为紧迫。总的来说，基于 BS 的可持续性研究不仅有助于理解环境和人类的相互关系，还为政策制定和水资源管理提供了参考。
