Program Seeding Forests, Harvesting Water in the Rio Santo Antônio in the municipality of Conceição do Mato Dentro – Minas Gerais (Brazil)
Description
Location
Sketch
Information about lithology/geochemistry:
The Santo Antônio River rises in the region of the Serra do Espinhaço Biosphere Reserve, in the municipality of Conceição do Mato Dentro, and will discharge its waters into the Doce River, one of the most important river basins in Brazil that became known worldwide after the rupture of the dam of Fundão, under the responsibility of mining company Samarco, in Mariana, Minas Gerais, on November 5, 2015. Around 39 million cubic meters of mud were released into the Doce River hydrographic basin. . A significant amount of gold poured into the Santo Antônio riverbed, from the eldorado period to the mines that proliferated in the 1980s. Currently, since 2010, a new scenario has been associated with the reality of the municipality of Conceição do Mato Dentro with the installation of the Minas-Rio mining program, by the English company Anglo American. This fact has increased the demand for water for public supply in the city, in addition to providing water for rural producers.
Main Description
- The micro hydrographic basin of the upper Santo Antônio River is located in a territory of 32,280 hectares and has as its centrality the main water courses and their areas of water recharge, from the main source to the catchment area for public supply, already in the city of Conceição do Mato Dentro. The Santo Antônio river stands out for having several areas of drainage headwaters located in the Serra do Espinhaço Biosphere Reserve, which in turn provide peculiar characteristics in relation to the other units of the Doce river basin. The Santo Antônio river basin has a direct and indirect relationship with a population of around 190,000 people and covers the following municipalities: Açucena, Alvorada de Minas, Antônio Dias, Belo Oriente, Braúnas, Carmésia, Conceição do Mato Dentro, Congonhas do North, Dom Joaquim, Dores de Guanhães, Ferros, Guanhães, Itabira, Itambé do Mato Dentro, Joanésia, Materlândia, Mesquita, Morro do Pilar, Naque, Passabém, Sabinópolis, Santa Maria.
- A particularity of the micro hydrographic basin of the upper Santo Antônio River is the presence of vegetation characterized as highland fields and rocky fields, in addition to savannah vegetation, which clearly marks the transition between the domain of the Atlantic Forest and the domain influenced by the largest basin altitudes when approaching the Cerrado biome.
Enhance ecohydrological processes in novel ecosystem
YES
Apply complementary Ecohydrological processes in high impacted system
YES
This table presents the different categories of ecosystem services that ecosystem can provide, divided in:
Provisioning Services are ecosystem services that describe the material or energy outputs from ecosystems. They include food, water and other resources.
Fresh water: Ecosystems play a vital role in the global hydrological cycle, as they regulate the flow and purification of water. Vegetation and forests influence the quantity of water available locally.
Regulating Services are the services that ecosystems provide by acting as regulators eg. regulating the quality of air and soil or by providing flood and disease control.
Waste-water treatment: Ecosystems such as wetlands filter both human and animal waste and act as a natural buffer to the surrounding environment. Through the biological activity of microorganisms in the soil, most waste is broken down. Thereby pathogens (disease causing microbes) are eliminated, and the level of nutrients and pollution is reduced.
Ecosystem services "that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services". These include services such as nutrient recycling, primary production and soil formation.
Cultural Services corresponds nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiences.
EH Principles
Quantification of the hydrological processes at catchment scale and mapping the impacts
ECOHYDROLOGY ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS
The Sowing Forests, Harvesting Waters program on the Santo Antonio River identified priority areas for environmental recovery. Areas of great relevance are forests and other forms of natural vegetation located on the shores of lakes or rivers (perennial or not); on the tops of hills; in sandbanks and mangroves; on slopes with a steep slope and on the edges of plateaus or plateaus with an inclination greater than 45º; and in areas at altitudes greater than 1,800 meters, with any vegetation cover. These areas need to be preserved and recovered so as not to cause erosion and landslides and to protect springs, fauna, flora, biodiversity and ensure the well-being of human populations.
Phytotechnology
The Sowing Forests, Harvesting Waters program on the Santo Antônio River implements soil conservation actions, such as the implementation of rainwater and sediment containment basins that promote greater water infiltration in underground systems. The Program also performs forest recomposition with the planting of seedlings of native forest species in areas of springs and riparian forests and enables the isolation of these more sensitive and important areas for water recharge.
Ecohydrological Infrastructure
Major Issues
Expected Outcomes
Latest Results
Contacts
Sérgio Nésio
- sergio.nesio@institutoespinhaco.org.br
- Instituto Espinhaço
Social ecohydrological system
EH Objectives
EH Methodology
Catchment Ecohydrological sub-system
Objectives
Stakeholders
Catchment Sociological sub-system
Activities