GESTÃO AMBIENTAL E CONSERVAÇÃO DOS RECURSOS HÍDRICOS: ASPECTOS RELEVANTES PARA A GOVERNANÇA DAS ÁGUAS NA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIO PIRANHAS-AÇU, NO RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

Abstract

The study analyzes the environmental management and conservation of water resources from the perspective of water governance in the river basin Piranhas-Açu. The main objective is to analyze how the environmental management practices can interfere in the conservation of waters, from the mid 1990s. To avoid the problem of reductionism, present in environmental studies, we adopt interdisciplinarity as epistemological and methodological principle. It is an explanatory research, because it seeks to deepen the knowledge of reality. The method of investigation is the hermeneutic-systemic, combined with the techniques of interpretation and documentary analysis. The geographic cut is the catchment area of the river Piranhas-Açu, in Rio Grande do Norte. The most relevant aspects are the interpretation of the norms applicable to water management, the institutional arrangements and the analysis of the relationships between environmental management and water conservation. The main limiting factors of good practices in the conservation of water resources are: state plan of water resources outdated; absence of ecological-economic zoning and the implementation of land use and land use policies; low coverage of basic sanitation and solid waste management; water stress situation; insufficient monitoring of surface and groundwater resources; contamination of surface water sources. Key-words: environmental management. conservation of water resources. water governance.