Institutional aspects and groundwater allocation for industrial uses in low Paraíba river basin, Paraíba state, Brazil

Abstract

This paper presents an institutional study of groundwater regulation and industrial use in Paraiba, Brazil, with special emphasis on the interactions between the status quo and the current National Water Resources Policy which is based on Federal Law No 9.433/97 and some specific regulations in water rights concession issued by the environmental agencies and water legislation. Based on data from primary sources and information provided by water resources management institutes, detailed analyses of groundwater use in order to establish some parameters to facilitate implementation of national policies in an integrated manner were done. The data analysis and the results showed that water resources management processes need to be fostered for the region.