Quantitative evaluation of the use of water resources in protected area: Case study of the Serra Mar State Park

ABSTRACT

This paper is a case study on water environmental service provided by the Serra do Mar State Park (PESM) to promote the regularization of water sources and ensure the supply of water to densely populated urban areas of the São Paulo State. Was performed by analyzing population data and granting of water in the study region, with the aim of evaluating the anthropogenic pressure, quantify the volume of water granted, as well as to identify major categories of users. Underscores the importance of establishing a policy of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) that will increase the budget allocation of the protected area and consequently the protective actions to the natural environment. Demographic data show that around the PESM has large population and high rates of annual growth, a fact that sets up a lot of pressure on the protected area, especially on its water resources. It was found that the total volume of water granted is 752,305,722 m3/year being that the public supply is the category with the largest volume (64.40 %), followed by industrial use (29.58 %). The analysis of the total awarded volumes also shows that 99.09% of the surface water is captured and only 0.91 % of groundwater-abstracted form.

Keywords:
Serra do Mar State Park; Water environmental service; Payments for Ecosystem Services