The state of water in Brazil: 1999

Brazil's water supply is about 187 170 m 3 s -1 , which means an annual volume of 5744 km 3 . However, the resource is distributed unevenly throughout the country. The East Atlantic Basin, for example, can supply only 1835 m 3 year -1 per person, while the Amazon Basin can supply 628 938 m 3 year -1 per person. Because conflicts involving water are becoming frequent in some areas of the country, the government is structuring a National System of Water Resources. Up-to-date information is a fundamental part of the process and, consequently, the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL), in cooperation with other institutions, has published The State of Water in Brazil (1999), a book surveying the water resources of the country. The main objective of this paper is to provide information about the present state of water resources in Brazil, including political, social, economic, environmental, and technical data.