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

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.

Key points

1. Assessment of the role hydrogeological framework in the baseflow and its impact on basin water security.

2. Water management challenges faced to intense anthropological actions and changes in rainfall behaviour, case of tropical basins in metropolitan regions.

KEYWORDS:

• Surface water
• groundwater
• resilience
• baseflow
• hydrograph separation

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by a grant from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) under Process 2018/06666-4. First author (L.V.S) thanks FAPESP for the scholarship provided under the processes n° 2017/13576-9. Also, integrate the Coupled Natural and Human Systems (#1826709) Research Coordination Network Project Transect of the Americas from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Disclosure statement

The research reported in the accompanying manuscript represents original work and presents results not previously published or under consideration for publication, and will not be submitted for publication elsewhere while under consideration for International Journal of River Basin Management. There are no conflicts of interest to disclose. All authors of the manuscript are aware of and approve the content of the manuscript and its submission to International Journal of River Basin Management.

Availability of data and material

All data was obtained from public database, satellite data from NASA: (a) precipitation from GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) disponible in https://giovanni.gsfc.nasa.gov/giovanni/ and https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/, (b) altimetry from SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) in https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/ and; (c) gauging and rain stations data from Water and Energy Department of São Paulo State (DAEE) in http://www.hidrologia.daee.sp.gov.br/.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by U.S. National Science Foundation – Coupled Natural and Human Systems/Network Project Transect of the Americas [grant number: 1826709]; São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) [grant number: 2017/13576-9,2018/06666-4].