Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS32 Holistic Studies In Impacted Meso-Scale Basins (Science and Society Connections)

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2001, Time: 2:45:00 PM

Location: Galisteo

Martinelli, L, A, University of São Paulo - CENA, Piracicaba, Brazil, zebu@cena.usp.br

INTEGRATED STUDIES IN THE IMPACTED PIRACICABA RIVER BASIN - SOUTHEAST BRAZIL

The Piracicaba basin is one of the most developed areas of Brazil, generating approximately 10% of the gross national product and producing an urban sewage load equivalent to 90 tBOD/day. Although most industries treat their effluents, the total volume is so high that their final BOD input is comparable to that from domestic sewage. These effluents are discharged into rivers and streams without any previous treatment. Land use is generally intense, with almost 31% of the basin covered by sugar cane, 47% by pasture, and 10% by silviculture. Less than 9% of the original forest vegetation remains, especially in the central and western part of the basin. In my presentation I intend to discuss what are the impacts caused by these human impacts on the aquatic system, and how we have transferred our scientific achievements to water managers of the Piracicaba basin.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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