The Uruguayan government is trying to reach agreements with Brazilian, Paraguayan and Argentine authorities to regulate the construction of dams and implement better industrial wastewater control policies to reduce the impact of economic development on the Uruguay river.

Uruguayan authorities are concerned about the lack of coordination of regional water resources. The problem is affecting water supply for the dams along the river.

The river's water flow has dramatically decreased due to the construction of new dams further north, shared by Brazil and Argentina, and by Brazil and Paraguay, the official said.

Regionally unregulated projects and contamination from neighbouring countries not only affect Uruguay's energy and potable water generation, but also impact industrial activity. The problem regarding the use of shared waters also affects Uruguayan departments Paysandú and Río Negro, where the pulp mill Botnia is located.

All industrial initiatives near the Uruguay river are planned and built according to certain water level projections, in order to guarantee suitable industrial wastewater treatment. If the river's water level drops, however, the efficiency of these treatment systems could be affected.

Related news: Latin America: governments sign multilateral water cooperation agreement, Source Weekly, 22 Mar 2008

Related web sites:

• UN-Water Task Force on Transboundary Waters
• Oregon State University - Program in Water Conflict Management and Transformation

Source: Eva Medalla, BNamericas [subscription site], 02 Jul 2009

Tags: latin america & caribbean, policies & legislation, wastewater treatment, water resources management