Water resources management in Uruguay

The water resources management system in Uruguay has been influenced by the general sense of water as an abundant resource in the country. Average annual rainfall is 1,182 mm, representing a contribution of 210 km³ annually throughout its territory. In 2002, the per capita renewable water resources was 41,065 cubic meters, way above the world average 8,467 m³ in 2006. Uruguay also shares one of the largest groundwater reserves in the world, the Guarani Aquifer, with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay. The Guarani aquifer covers 1,200,000 square kilometers and has a storage capacity of 40,000 km³.

The institutional framework for water resources management consists of sectoral governmental agencies at the national and regional level. The Water Code, Decree No 14.859 of 1978, establishes the legal framework for water resources management in Uruguay completed by sectoral laws for agriculture, industrial water use, energy production and water supply and sanitation.