Groundwater recharge and sustainability in Brazil

Abstract In this chapter, we review the groundwater recharge studies developed in Brazil, discussing recharge values, methods, uncertainties, and sustainability of the groundwater use. Recharge rates are important to estimate sustainable groundwater abstraction and, consequently, to avoid groundwater depletion. We found few studies in Brazil on groundwater recharge; on the other hand, groundwater use has significantly increased in the last decade. Therefore there is a huge and important avenue to discuss groundwater sustainability in the country. It is crucial to conduct more investigations on groundwater recharge and its uncertainty estimates in different aquifers, land covers, and hydrometeorological conditions. Then, it will be possible to improve understanding about potential and limits of groundwater use in Brazil.