USE OF WATER RESOURCES AND WATER FOOTPRINT (WF) AT THE CATCHMENT LEVEL. CASE: TIRGUA RIVER BASIN, VENEZUELA

The dynamics of water use through the Water Footprint (HH) approach was evaluated in the Tirgua river basin using the model developed by Hoekstra et al., (2011), which allows quantifying the impact of anthropogenic activities on the water resources of a defined geographical area. The predominant productive activities in the basin were identified and the respective geoproductive statistics for 2008 and demographic statistics for 2011 (projected to 2015) were compiled, due to the absence of official records after those years; the required parameters to estimate the green, blue and grey water components were defined, and the Water Footprint for the catchment was estimated, through the model equations. The Tirgua basin has a total WF of 197.048.376 m(3)/year, representing the 17,31% of the water supply: 1138.423.803 m(3)/year, being agriculture the activity with higher impact (67.903.251,79 m(3)/year), followed by domestic use (66.858.233 m(3)/year), and livestock (61.542.998,38 m(3)/year). Grey WF represent the 50,93% of the total WF in the catchment, highlighting the role of the Tirgua River as a vector for receiving, assimilating and transporting wastewater, demonstrating the high pressure exerted by anthropogenic activities on river basins in the region.