Creation of an environmental protection area in a public supply source: possibilities and challenges in Cianorte - Paraná

This work analyzed the contribution that the creation of Environmental Protection Areas (EPA) may bring to the conservation of hydrographic basins used as public water sources. The object of study of this work was the hydrographic basin of the Ligeiro River which, by 2022 onwards, will be the new source of public supply in the city of Cianorte-Paraná, replacing the hydrographic basin of the Bolívar stream. The latter has environmental impacts caused mainly by the expansion of urban areas and inadequate practice of land use, occupation, and management, which affects the population’s supply, particularly on days with high levels of rainfall. The study area involved the creation of two municipal EPAs in the hydrographic basin of the Ligeiro River, located in the municipalities of Araruna and Cianorte, with areas of 209.76 km² and 219.82 km², respectively. It is believed that the creation of Environmental Protection Areas in the Ligeiro River hydrographic basin will also present challenges, but it will enable the conservation of natural resources and, especially, of water resources, given the quality of the water. It is expected that these actions will help to minimize or even prevent, in the future, the Ligeiro river hydrographic basin from being as or more impacted as the Bolivar stream basin.