title: Itaipu royalties: The role of the hydroelectric sector in water resource management.
abstract: For countries dependent on hydroelectricity, water scarcity poses a real risk. Hydroelectric plants are among the most vulnerable enterprises to climate change. Investing in the conservation of the hydrographic basin is a solution found by the hydropower sector. Given the importance of the Itaipu plant to the energy matrix of Brazil and Paraguay, the aim of this study is to review the current distribution of royalties from Itaipu, using the hydrographic basin as a of criterion of analysis. Approximately 98.73% of the Itaipu basin is in Brazil. The flow contributes 99% of the total electricity generated there, while the drop height of the water contributes only 1%. Under the current policy, royalties are shared equally between Brazil and Paraguay. In the proposed approach, each country would receive a percentage for their participation in the drop height and water flow in the output of the turbines, which are intrinsic factors for electricity generation. Thus, Brazil would receive 98.35% of the royalties and Paraguay, 1.65%. The inclusion of the hydrographic basin as a criterion for the distribution of royalties will promote more efficient water resource management, since the payment will be distributed throughout the basin of the plant. The methodology can be applied to hydroelectric projects worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, PostGraduate Programme in Forest Science, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: alelorenzon@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Alexandre Simões
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lorenzon
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, PostGraduate Programme in Forest Science, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: cribeiro@ufv.br.
authors.forename: Carlos Antonio
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Alvares Soares Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Espírito Santo/UFES, Department of Rural Engineering, 29500-000, Alegre, ES, Brazil. Electronic address: alexandre.santos@pq.cnpq.br.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosa Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, PostGraduate Programme in Forest Science, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: gustavomarcatti@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gustavo Eduardo
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Marcatti
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, PostGraduate Programme in Forest Science, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: getulio.floresta@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Getulio Fonseca
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Domingues
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, PostGraduate Programme in Forest Science, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: vicente@ufv.br.
authors.forename: Vicente Paulo
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, PostGraduate Programme in Forest Science, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: nerolemos@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Nero Lemos
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Martins de Castro
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, PostGraduate Programme in Forest Science, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: thaisarib@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Thaisa Ribeiro
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Federal University Rural of Rio de Janeiro - Institute Três Rios, Department of Environmental Sciences, 25802-100, Três Rios, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: sadymenezes@ufrrj.br.
authors.forename: Sady Júnior
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Martins da Costa de Menezes
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, PostGraduate Programme in Forest Science, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: eshamir@ufv.br.
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, PostGraduate Programme in Forest Science, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: kellyobarros@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Barros
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, PostGraduate Programme in Agrochemistry, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs; s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: gleissym@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Gleissy Mary
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Amaral Dino Alves Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Espírito Santo/UFES, Department of Rural Engineering, 29500-000, Alegre, ES, Brazil. Electronic address: samuelfd.silva@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferreira da Silva
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Viçosa/UFV, PostGraduate Programme in Forest Science, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: pedromota.enf@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Pedro Henrique
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Santos Mota
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D057231:Climate Change; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010239:Paraguay; D011210:Power Plants / Q000191:economics*; D045483:Rivers; D062066:Water Resources
keywords: Catchment management; Hydroelectricity; Payment for environmental services; Water resources