Towards sustainability: Allowance rights for using water resources in Amazonas State of Brazil

Abstract

The water use permit is one of the instruments of the National and State Policy of Water Resources in Brazil through which the government authorizes the user to withdraw water or to make hydraulic interferences in water bodies necessary for their activities, guaranteeing the right of access to these resources. In the state of Amazonas, the Water Resources Policy (PERH) was reformulated by Law 3,167 of 2007, which latter was regulated by decree 28,678 of 2009, and use permit started to being issued in 2017. The objective of this paper is to contextualize the current situation of this instrument, based on bibliographical review and on the observed practical consequences. The State Water Resources Policy (PERH) exists since 2001, but the implementation of the water use permits issuance in the state has not progressed significantly over the last 15 years. Important advances occurred only in 2016 and 2017, with the establishment of technical parameters for water use. Permits slowly started to be issued in 2017, but still disconnected from the other instruments of the Brazilian Water Resources Policy.