Scope:

The project covers an area of about 175,000 km2 to the south and west of the capital city of Buenos Aires. A population of about 1.3 million is almost totally dependent upon agriculture for its livelihood, with most of the area devoted to cattle ranching but with an increasing amount of arable forming in some parts. There is a history of the area having suffered from periodic floods and droughts, and, over the years, various hydraulic works have been constructed to alleviate problems in specific areas. The current study is in response to this situation and is the first attempt at an integrated approach to alleviating the problems of the whole area, which objectives can be summarised as: appropriate development of the water resources and reduction of the damage caused by floods and droughts to the population, properties and infrastructure; improvement of the economic conditions of the area by means of sustainable development of its potential in particular, but not restricted to, that related to agriculture and livestock; and conservation of the ecological values of the environment (wetlands).

Financed by:

World Bank

Key Factors:

	Project management
	Identification and diagnosis of the problems
	Integrated modelling of the hydrological cycle and extensive use of GIS
	Water catchment planning
	EIA procedures
	Flooding mitigation and river engineering
	Geomorphological studies
	Financial and economical assessment
	Institutional and legal provisions to support the proposals