The Application of Ecohydrological Principles for Better Water Resources Management

Clean surface water is fundamental to the health and welfare of South Americans and to the preservation of the continent’s stunning natural ecosystems. The majority of water for domestic and industrial use in South America is taken from surface sources, while ground-water is important in arid regions and in some more industrialized agricultural areas to the south. Overall the continent is estimated to have 13 400 km3 in renewable water supplies, with 21 % of this flowing annually in rivers. Total annual withdrawals were estimated at 166 km3 in 1995, with 60 % going to agriculture, 20 % going to domestic use, and the remainder going to industrial and other uses. South Americans also rely on surface waters for food. Recent estimates place the annual freshwater fish harvest at nearly 400 000 metric tonnes (WRI, 1998). Currently, people in South America have unequal access to what the United Nations defines as improved drinking water and sanitation services (WHO/UNICEF, 2002). Urban inhabitants ’ access to improved drinking water ranges from 85 % in Venezuela to 99 % in Chile. However, for rural inhabitants these values fall to 70 % and 58%, respectively. Suriname is reported to have the lowest percentage of rural inhabitants with access t