Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Water diversion in Brazil threatens biodiversity

  • Perspective
  • Published:
Ambio Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Construction of water diversions is a common response to the increasing demands for freshwater, often resulting in benefits to communities but with the risk of multiple environmental, economic, and social impacts. Water-diversion projects can favor massive introductions and accelerate biotic homogenization. This study provides empirical evidence on the consequences of a proposed law intended to divert water from two large and historically isolated river basins in Brazil: Tocantins to São Francisco. Compositional similarity (CS) and β-diversity were quantified encompassing aquatic organisms: mollusks, zooplankton, crustaceans, insects, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and plants. For CS we (i) considered only native species, and (ii) simulated the introduction of non-natives and assumed the extinction of threatened species due to this water-diversion project. We highlight the environmental risks of such large-scale projects, which are expected to cause impacts on biodiversity linked to bioinvasion and homogenization, and we recommend alternatives in order to solve water-demand conflicts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alves, R.J.V., M. Weksler, J.A. Oliveira, P.A. Buckup, J.P. Pombal Jr., H.R.G. Santana, A.L. Peracchi, A.W.A. Kellner, et al. 2018. Brazilian legislation on genetic heritage harms biodiversity convention goals and threatens basic biology research and education. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 90: 1279–1284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amora, G., N. Hamada, M. Fusari, and V. Andrade-Souza. 2015. An Asiatic Chironomid in Brazil: Morphology, DNA barcode and bionomics. ZooKeys 514: 129–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrade, J.G.P., P.S.F. Barbosa, L.C.A. Souza, and D.L. Makino. 2011. Interbasin water transfers: The Brazilian experience and international case comparisons. Water Resources Management 8: 1915–1934.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Acselrad, M.V., J.P.S. Azevedo, and R.M. Formiga-Johnsson. 2015. Bulk water use charges in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2004–2013): historical record and current challenges. Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental 20: 199–208 (in Portuguese).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azevedo-Santos, V.M., P.M. Fearnside, C.S. Oliveira, A.A. Padial, F.M. Pelicice, D.P. Lima Jr., D. Simberloff, T.E. Lovejoy, et al. 2017. Removing the abyss between conservation science and policy decisions in Brazil. Biodiversity Conservation 26: 1745–1752.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azevedo-Santos, V.M., R.G. Frederico, C.K. Fagundes, P.S. Pompeu, F.M. Pelicice, A.A. Padial, M.G. Nogueira, F.M. Fearnside, et al. 2019. Protected areas: A focus on Brazilian freshwater biodiversity. Diversity and Distributions 25: 442–448.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagla, P. 2014. India plans the grandest of canal networks. Science 345: 128.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bellard, C., P. Cassey, and T.M. Blackburn. 2016. Alien species as a driver of recent extinctions. Biology Letters 12: 20150623.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernardi, L. 2014. Analysis of water management resources in the municipality of Erechim. Revista Monografias Ambientais 14: 3026–3039 (in Portuguese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bezerra, L.A.V., M.O. Freitas, V.S. Daga, T.V.T. Occhi, L. Faria, A.P.L. Costa, A.A. Padial, V. Prodocimo, et al. 2019. A network meta-analysis of threats to South American fish biodiversity. Fish and Fisheries. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bockmann, F.A., M.T. Rodrigues, T. Kohlsdorf, L.C. Straker, T. Grant, M.C.C. Pinna, F.L.M. Mantelatto, A. Datovo, et al. 2018. Brazil’s government attacks biodiversity. Science 360: 865.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Branco, J.C. 2008. Morphological changes on the tidal flat’s ecosystems around the mouth of the Cachoeira River, Paraná State. Caminhos de Geografia 9: 12–23 (in Portuguese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Brito, M.F.G., and A.L.B. Magalhães. 2017. Brazil’s development turns river into sea. Science 358: 179.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Castro, C.M., and M.M. Ferreirinha. 2012. The environmental problems in the Guandu River Basin: Challenges towards water resources management. Anuário do Instituto de Geociências - UFRJ 35: 71–77 (in Portuguese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarkson, R.W. 2004. Effectiveness of electrical fish barriers associated with the Central Arizona Project. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 24: 94–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clavero, M., and E. García-Berthou. 2005. Invasive species are a leading cause of animal extinctions. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 20: 110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coelho, A.L.N. 2006. Geomorphologic situation of the Doce River based on the data of the historical series of debit of the hydrometeorology station of Colatina in Espírito Santo State - Brazil. Caminhos de Geografia 6: 56–79 (in Portuguese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Davtalab, R., A. Salamat, and R. Oji. 2013. Water harvesting from fog and air humidity in the warm and coastal regions in the south of Iran. Irrigation and Drainage 62: 281–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frehse, F.A., R.R. Braga, G.A. Nocera, and J.R.S. Vitule. 2016. Non-native species and invasion biology in a megadiverse country: Scientometric analysis and ecological interactions in Brazil. Biological Invasions 18: 3713–3725.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallardo, B., and D.C. Aldridge. 2018. Inter-basin water transfers and the expansion of aquatic invasive species. Water Research 143: 282–291.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gomes, U.A.F., and L. Heller. 2016. Access to water provided by the Training and Social Mobilization Program for Coexistence with the Semi-Arid—One Million Cisterns Program: Combating drought or rupture of the vulnerability? Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental 21: 623–633 (in Portuguese).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Härer, A., J. Torres-Dowdall, and A. Meyer. 2017. The imperiled fish fauna in the Nicaragua Canal zone. Conservation Biology 12: 86–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hespanhol, I. 2002. Water reuse potential in Brazil agriculture, industry, municipalities, recharge of aquifers. Revista Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos 7: 75–95 (in Portuguese).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kemenes, A., and J.C.B. Pezzuti. 2007. Estimate of trade traffic of Podocnemis (Testudines, Podocnemidiae) from the Middle Purus River, Amazonas, Brazil. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 6: 259–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LabSid - Laboratório de Sistemas de Suporte a Decisões. 2015. Hydrological study for transfer of the Itapanhaú river to the Biririba Dam (Upper Tietê Sistem). Technical Report (in Portuguese).

  • Laurance, W.F., and A. Balmford. 2013. A global map for road building. Nature 495: 308–309.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liang, Y.-S., W. Wang, H.-J. Li, X.-H. Shen, Y.-L. Xu, and J.-R. Dai. 2012. The South-to-North Water Diversion Project: Effect of the water diversion pattern on transmission of Oncomelania hupensis, the intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum in China. Parasites & Vectors 5: 52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, X., Y. Luo, T. Yang, K. Liang, K. Zhang, and C. Liu. 2015. Investigation of the probability of concurrent drought events between the water source and destination regions of China’s water diversion project. Geophysical Research Letters 42: 8424–8431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lövei, G.L., T.M. Lewinsohn, R. Dirzo, E.F.M. Elhassan, E. Ezcurra, C.A.O. Freire, F.-R. Gui, J.M. Halley, et al. 2012. Megadiverse developing countries face huge risks from invasives. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 27: 2–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsden, J.E., and B.J. Ladago. 2017. The Champlain Canal as a non-indigenous species corridor. Journal of Great Lakes Research 43: 1173–1180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matera, R.R.T. 2012. The logistics challenge in an industrial-airport implantation. Journal of Transport Literature 6: 190–214 (in Portuguese).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merciai, R., L.L. Bailey, K.R. Bestgen, K.D. Fausch, L. Zamora, S. Sabater, and E. García-Berthou. 2017. Water diversion reduces abundance and survival of two Mediterranean cyprinids. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 27: 481–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, G.W. 2006. Integrated concepts in water reuse: Managing global water needs. Desalination 187: 65–75.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moreira-Filho, O., and P.A. Buckup. 2005. A poorly known case of watershed transposition between the São Francisco and upper Paraná river basins. Neotropical Ichthyology 3: 449–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgantini, H. 2017. Three months after initiation, transposition is not ready, and more Anapolinos suffer in neighborhoods with lack of water. A voz de Anápolis 088: 6–7 (in Portuguese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Olden, J.D., N.L. Poff, M.R. Douglas, M.E. Douglas, and K.D. Fausch. 2004. Ecological and evolutionary consequences of biotic homogenization. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 19: 18–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pantoja-Lima, J., P.H.R. Aride, A.T. Oliveira, D. Félix-Silva, J.C.B. Pezzuti, and G.H. Rebêlo. 2014. Chain of commercialization of Podocnemis spp. turtles (Testudines: Podocnemididae) in the Purus River, Amazon basin, Brazil: Current status and perspectives. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 10: 8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelicice, F.M., V.M. Azevedo-Santos, J.R.S. Vitule, M.L. Orsi, D.P. Lima Jr., A.L.B. Magalhães, P.S. Pompeu, M. Petrere Jr., et al. 2017. Neotropical freshwater fishes imperilled by unsustainable policies. Fish and Fisheries 18: 1119–1133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qin, Y., Q. Wen, Y. Ma, C. Yang, and Z. Liu. 2018. Antibiotics pollution in Gonghu Bay in the period of water diversion from Yangtze River to Taihu Lake. Environmental Earth Sciences 77: 419.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahel, F.J. 2013. Intentional fragmentation as a management strategy in aquatic systems. BioScience 63: 362–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rahel, F.J., and M.A. Smith. 2018. Pathways of unauthorized fish introductions and types of management responses. Hydrobiologia 817: 41–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos, T.P.A., J.A.S. Lima, S.Y.L. Costa, M.J. Silva, R.C. Avellar, and L. Oliveira-Silva. 2018. Continental ichthyofauna from the Paraíba do Norte River basin pre-transposition of the São Francisco River, Northeastern Brazil. Biota Neotropica 18: e20170471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santos, V.O., and J.G.P. Naves. 2016. Low flow diagnosis on upper course of Uberaba river basin. Ambiência 12: 859–868 (in Portuguese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sax, D.F., and G.D. Gaines. 2008. Species invasions and extinction: The future of native biodiversity on islands. Proceedings of the National academy of Sciences of the United States of America 105: 11490–11497.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scarano, F., A. Guimarães, and J.M. Silva. 2012. Lead by example. Nature 486: 25–26.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simberloff, D., and J.R.S. Vitule. 2014. A call for an end to calls for the end of invasion biology. Oikos 123: 408–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shumilova, O., K. Tockner, M. Thieme, A. Koska, and C. Zarfl. 2018. Global water transfer megaprojects: A potential solution for the water-food-energy nexus? Frontiers in Environmental Science 6: 150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vitule, J.R.S., V.M. Azevedo-Santos, V.S. Daga, D.P. Lima Jr., A.L.B. Magalhães, M.L. Orsi, F.M. Pelicice, and A.A. Agostinho. 2015. Brazil’s drought: Protect biodiversity. Science 347: 1427–1428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warsinger, D.M., S. Chakraborty, E.W. Tow, M.H. Plumlee, C. Bellona, S. Loutatidou, L. Karimi, A.M. Mikelonis, et al. 2016. A review of polymeric membranes and processes for potable water reuse. Progress in Polymer Science 81: 209–237.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Winemiller, K.O., P.B. McIntyre, L. Castello, E. Fluet-Chouinard, T. Giarrizzo, S. Nam, I.G. Baird, W. Darwall, et al. 2016. Balancing hydropower and biodiversity in the Amazon, Congo, and Mekong. Science 351: 128–129.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woodford, D.J., C. Hui, D.M. Richardson, and O.L.F. Weyl. 2013. Propagule pressure drives establishment of introduced freshwater fish: Quantitative evidence from an irrigation network. Ecological Applications 23: 1926–1937.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhan, A., L. Zhang, Z. Xiz, P. Ni, W. Xiong, Y. Chen, G.D. Haffner, and H.J. MacIsaac. 2015. Water diversions facilitate spread of non-native species. Biological Invasions 17: 3073–3080.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, L., S. Li, H.A. Loáiciga, Y. Zhuang, and Y. Du. 2015. Opportunities and challenges of interbasin water transfers: A literature review with bibliometric analysis. Scientometrics 105: 279–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, M., S. Wang, B. Fu, G. Gao, and Q. Shen. 2018. Ecological effects and potential risks of the water diversion project in the Heihe River Basin. Science of the Total Environment 619–620: 794–803.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Dr. Luiz Ricardo Lopes de Simone (University of São Paulo Museum of Zoology, MZSP) for providing data from the Mollusca Collection, and Dr. Edson Gomes de Moura Júnior (Federal University of São Francisco Valley - UNIVASF) for providing data from aquatic plants of the São Francisco River Basin. We thank Dr. Neusa Hamada (National Institute for Research in Amazonia - INPA) for valuable comments and revision of the aquatic-insect data. We also would like to thank Dr. Daniel Simberloff (Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee) for important comments on the manuscript, and Dr. James A. Nienow (Biology Department, Valdosta State University) and Dr. Larissa Strictar Pereira (Federal University of Paraná) for English revision. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES - Brazil - Finance Code 001), provided to V.M.A.S. and L.R.P.P. The authors are grateful to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq - Brazil) for the continuous research productivity grants provided to J.R.S.V. (Process Numbers: 302367/2018-7 and 303776/2015-3), and for support provided to V.S.D. (Process Number: 167382/2017-9), A.M.C.R. (Process Number: 141028/2016-5), P.M.F. and J.E.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação (LEC), Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Setor de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, 81531-970, Brazil

    Vanessa S. Daga & Jean R. S. Vitule

  2. Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18618-970, Brazil

    Valter M. Azevedo-Santos & Ana M. C. Ruocco

  3. Núcleo de Estudos Ambientais, Universidade Federal de Tocantins, Porto Nacional, Tocantins, 77500-000, Brazil

    Fernando M. Pelicice

  4. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil

    Philip M. Fearnside

  5. Departamento de Hidrobiologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, 13565-905, Brazil

    Gilmar Perbiche-Neves

  6. Laboratório de Hidrobiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Passos, Minas Gerais, 37900-106, Brazil

    Lucas R. P. Paschoal

  7. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14040-901, Brazil

    Daniel C. Cavallari

  8. Laboratório de Genética e Evolução Molecular, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, 29075-910, Brazil

    José Erickson

  9. Laboratório de Etnociências, Centro de Educação e Letras, Universidade Federal do Acre, Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, 69980-000, Brazil

    Igor Oliveira

  10. Laboratório de Análise e Síntese em Biodiversidade, Departamento de Botânica, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, 81531-970, Brazil

    André A. Padial

Authors
  1. Vanessa S. Daga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Valter M. Azevedo-Santos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fernando M. Pelicice
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Philip M. Fearnside
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gilmar Perbiche-Neves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lucas R. P. Paschoal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Daniel C. Cavallari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. José Erickson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Ana M. C. Ruocco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Igor Oliveira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. André A. Padial
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Jean R. S. Vitule
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vanessa S. Daga.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 848 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Daga, V.S., Azevedo-Santos, V.M., Pelicice, F.M. et al. Water diversion in Brazil threatens biodiversity. Ambio 49, 165–172 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01189-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01189-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation