Diretrizes para a implementação de plano de segurança da água como ferramenta de apoio à governança hídrica em Paragominas (PA)

Abstract

Water security in Amazonian municipalities has been progressively compromised by anthropogenic pressures, changes in land use and land cover, sanitation deficits, and limitations in adaptive capacity in the face of climate change. This doctoral thesis proposes guidelines for the implementation of a Water Safety Plan (WSP) as a support tool for water governance in the municipality of Paragominas, in the State of Pará, Brazil. The research adopted a mixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) approach, combining multitemporal geospatial analysis, field observations, the application of risk matrices in accordance with ABNT NBR 17.080:2023 and World Health Organization guidelines, as well as the assessment of quantitative water resilience indicators adapted from the City Water Resilience Framework (CWRF). At the territorial scale, land use and land cover were analysed in the Uraim River microbasin (1985, 2000, 2015, and 2024), in conjunction with field visits and the prioritisation of hazardous events. The results revealed an intensification of anthropogenic land uses, suppression of riparian vegetation, and the presence of diffuse pollution sources. High-risk hazards were identified and ranked, including the discharge of untreated domestic sewage, urban occupation near the watercourse, and the inappropriate disposal of animal waste in pasture areas. At the water supply system scale, the implementation of a Water Safety Plan was proposed for the Uraim water treatment plant, identifying 23 hazardous events along the source, raw water abstraction, and treatment stages, eight of which were classified as high or very high risk. Critical vulnerabilities were identified, including irregular monitoring of raw and treated water, illicit sewage discharges upstream of the abstraction point, inadequate management of water treatment plant sludge, and the absence of standardised contingency protocols. At the urban scale, the assessment of water resilience in Paragominas, based on 16 indicators distributed across four dimensions, confirmed a pattern of asymmetric water resilience. High performance in institutional and regulatory aspects contrasted with structural and operational deficits, particularly regarding the universalisation of sewerage services, green–blue infrastructure, and the absence of a Water Safety Plan. This imbalance compromises progress towards Sustainable Development Goals 6, 11, and 13, indicating a predominantly formal form of resilience that has not been translated into effective improvements in water security. It is concluded that the integration of geotechnologies, preventive risk management, and systemic assessment of water resilience constitutes a robust and replicable approach to water planning and governance in Amazonian municipalities. The findings underscore the need to align existing institutional capacity with territorial and operational investments in order to reduce vulnerabilities, strengthen water security, and enhance climate change adaptation in urban contexts subject to increasing anthropogenic pressure.