Water production in a Brazilian montane rainforest: Implications for water resources management

The objective of this study was to evaluate water production within a national park in order to characterize quantity and quality when associated with preserved landscapes in rainforests. After acquiring the necessary quali-quantitative information, a second objective was defined, aiming to propose a new approach for water valuation in preserved forest areas within a scenario of integrated water resources management. Field campaigns were conducted in subwatersheds within the Serra das Lontras National Park in order to collect hydrological and hydrochemical data. Results showed that the effluent streams presented perennial water production of 4,000 l ha−1 day−1 in the most conservative scenario. Regardless of flow rate regimes, waters were well-oxygenated and presented low salinity and low concentration of total suspended solids. These results prove the effectiveness of a montane rainforest in providing protection to water bodies and in delivering important ecosystem services. Thus, we propose the inclusion payments policies for watershed services (PWS) by water resources management from an alternative approach. In conclusion, these policies could be reviewed with the objective of adding water valuation, making programs more robust and attractive to rural producers and other stakeholders. Water catchment and treatment agencies could also be part of this process, including PWS in their revenue budgets, and using their prices to stimulate the ecosystem service market.