River Basin OrganizationsStudy case from Brazil

Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, PhDCNPq Scholarship (Brazil)

Ayeyarwady Futures TeamStockholm Environment Institute

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Stakeholder Consultation Meeting on Chindwin Futures AssessmentMonywa, 4th May 2015

Developed with the support of CNPq – National Council for Technological and Scientific Development – Brazil

CONTENT1. Water management regulation in Brazil

2. Case studies of RBOs in Brazil

3. History of the RBOs

4. Structure and Members

5. Government levels responsibility for RBOs

6. Institutional scheme

7. Roles of the RBO

8. Funding scheme

9. Some lessons learnt

Water Management Regulation in Brazil

• Water Law approved in 1997– Structure of River Basin Organizations

• Challenges in 1997:– Little financial and human resources– Population and institutions were not used to

participatory governance, such as the water councils and RBO committees proposed in the new water law

– Starting a cycle of fast development from 2001 to 2010, increasing pressure on water resources

• Myanmar may face similar challenges and experiences that Brazil faced in the development cycle

0.00

5,000.00

10,000.00

15,000.00

19

97

19

99

20

01

20

03

20

05

20

07

20

09

20

11

20

13

Per Capita GDP - BrazilUSD

Source: World Bank Database

Case studies of RBOs in Brazil

• Paracatu RBO

• Verde Grande RBO

• Water Commission of Minas Gerais State Parliament from 2013-2014– Assessment of achievements and

challenges of the 36 RBO in the state

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History of the RBOs

Paracatu RBO Verde Grande RBO

Establishment 1998 2003

Master Plans approved in 2006 2010

Water Quality StandardsProposed in 2006

(awaiting approval of Water Council)

Proposed in 2010(awaiting approval of

Water Council)

Charge for Water Use Implementing In discussion

Water Agencies under RBOs

Articulated with São Francisco Basin

Articulated with São Francisco Basin

Sources:ANA. Enquadramento – Bases Legais. Available at: http://portalpnqa.ana.gov.br/enquadramento-bases-legais.aspx, accessed on 16 Apr 2015ANA (2014). Cobrança pelo uso de recursos hídricos no Brasil. Informe 2013. Available at: http://arquivos.ana.gov.br/institucional/sag/CobrancaUso/Estudos/Informativo2013_CobrancapeloUsodeRecursosHidricosnoBrasil.pdfALMG (2014). Relatório Final da Comissão das Águas. Available at: http://www.cbhdoce.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Veja-aqui-o-relat%C3%B3rio.pdfCBH Paracatu website. Available at: http://agbpeixevivo.org.br/index.php/comites/cbhs-estaduais/cbh-rio-paracatu.html, accessed on 16 Apr 2015 CBH Verde Grande websites . Available at: http://www.verdegrande.cbh.gov.br/, accessed on 16 Apr 2015IGAM (2015) 2o relatório de gestão e situação dos recursos hídricos em Minas Gerais. Available at: portalinfohidro.igam.mg.gov.br/publicacoes-tecnicas/relatorios-de-gestao/8837-/downloadINFOHIDRO website. Availabe at: http://portalinfohidro.igam.mg.gov.br/publicacoes-tecnicas/enquadramento/, accessed on 16 Apr 2015

• Underlying Principle of Parity in member composition

Example:

Structure and Members

Members of Verde Grande RBO

• Water Users

• Civil society

• Government Institutions• National government• State• Municipality

Equally divided among

Then equally divided among

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• Internal elections for members and direction roles• Enables rotation and renovation

• Internal structure with sub-committees and working groups

Ex: Water management institutionsAgriculture development institutionsEnvironmental institutions

Ex: Irrigated farmers associationsHydropower companiesWater supply institutions

Ex: Local NGOSCommunity associations

State A

State B

Ocean

Responsibility of State B

Responsibility of National Government

Inter-state sub-basin:National government can establish RBO

Intra-state sub-basin:State A can assume responsibility

Government levels responsibilityfor RBOs

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• National Level

• Water Use Permits• National Information System• Surveillance

• Regulations• Approves propositions from RBOs

• Propositions to Water Council

Non-government nature

A member of each RBO

• Experience sharing• Consultative role

National Water Council

RBO RBO RBO

NationalWater Agency

…RBO Forum

WaterAgency

WaterAgency

WaterAgency

Technical body to be implemented after

Water Use Charge starts in the basin

• Gradually assume the roles of the National Water Agency

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Institutional Scheme

• National Level • State Level

RBO Forum

WaterAgency

WaterAgency

WaterAgency

National Water Council

RBO RBO RBO

NationalWater Agency

… RBO Forum

WaterAgency

WaterAgency

WaterAgency

State Water Council

RBO RBO RBO

StateWater Agency

…

Roles of the RBO

• Progressive roles of an RBO

1st - Water Basin Plan

2nd - Water Quality Standards

3rd - Rules for charging water use

4th - Establishment of Water Agency in the basin

• On demand roles

– 1st instance for water conflict resolution

– Water use permit for big users

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(in Minas Gerais State)

Funding Scheme• Tax on hydropower profit

– Rationale: compensation for impacts of hydropower reservoirs

– Main fund source for water management policy in the country

– Part of the tax is source for the Water Fund in Minas Gerais State• Environmental projects in river basins

• Administrative costs of RBOs, mainly– Transportation for meetings

– Administrative staff

• Charge for Water Use

– Gradually implemented in some basins

– All money collected must be invested in the same basin• Projects, studies and infrastructure according to criteria proposed by RBO

and approved by the Water Council

• Technical and administrative maintenance of RBO and Water Agency

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Some lessons learnt• The RBO always need to have some important task to be

done

– People need to see that their participation is useful

• Government reliability with public budget is crucial to maintain the credibility of people in the RBOs

– Misuse of money to be invested in basins

– Delay or cancellation of promised investments

• RBO role is not only for water policy planning:

– supervise investments by government institutions

– mobilize society

• Industries pressure on Water Council made it difficult to approve Water Quality Standards proposed by RBOs

It is difficult to recover credibility

after it is lost

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Contact:

Chayanis KRITTASUDTHACHEEWA, Ph.D.(Ms)chayanis.k@sei-international.org

Louis LEBEL, Ph.D.louis@sea-user.org

Eric KEMP-BENEDICT, Ph.D.eric.kemp-benedict@sei-international.org

Bernadette (Babette) RESURRECCIÓN, Ph.D.bernadette.resurreccion@sei-international.org

Chusit APIRUMANEKUL, Ph.D.chusit.apirumanekul@sei-international.org

Vitor Vieira VASCONCELOS, Ph.D.vitor.vasconcelos@sei-international.org

Website: http://sei-international.org/

Thanks to the Blue Moon Fund, DWIR, MEI andall stakeholders and partners in Myanmar

Contact in Myanmar

Program Coordinator:

Ms. Cho Cho Win, MB: 95-9428128900,chochowin47@gmail.com