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A step closer to developing a legal framework for transboundary aquifers… Bryan Green. The Guarani Aquifer. Guarani Aquifer Basics. Lies beneath Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, & Uruguay 1.2 million km 2 40,000 km 3 of water Primary Uses Domestic water uses Industry Agriculture
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A step closer to developing a legal framework for transboundary aquifers… Bryan Green The Guarani Aquifer
Guarani Aquifer Basics • Lies beneath Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, & Uruguay • 1.2 million km2 • 40,000 km3 of water • Primary Uses • Domestic water uses • Industry • Agriculture • Thermal potential
Guarani Aquifer Basics • Confined Aquifer (90%) • Unconfined (10%) • Recharge / Discharge Zones • Threats to the Aquifer • Exploitation & overdraft • Pollution • Contamination from pesticides & fertilizers • Non-riparian states gaining access to the aquifer
Guarani Aquifer Project • Official name: • “Environmental Protection & Sustainable Development of the Guarani Aquifer System Project” • Main Objective: • To support Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay to jointly elaborate and implement a coordinated institutional framework for managing and preserving the transboundary Guarani Aquifer for current and future generations.
Seven Components • Expansion & consolidation of the current knowledge base of the aquifer system • Joint development & implementation of the Guarani management framework • Public participation, education, & communication • Project monitoring & distribution of results • Implementation of pilot projects in identified “hot spots” • Assessment of geothermal energy potential • Project coordination
Current Status of the Guarani Aquifer Management • The Guarani Aquifer Project • Final report to be completed in 2009 • New Project by the Environmental Regulatory Research Group (ERRG) • The Environmental Protection of the Guarani Aquifer: A Legal Perspective