Use of water quality indices in environmental management in Argentina

ABSTRACT The aim of this work is to provide the contribution of water quality indices (WQIs) to environmental management of water resources, during the last three decades in Argentina. As part of the Latin America and the Caribbean region, one of the most water-rich regions in the world, monitoring and management of water stress has not always received enough attention. Particularly, if it is taking into account that due to high temporal and geographic variability in water distribution, it was, it is and it will be the main driver for the development of the activities of the country. A summary of the role of key actors involved in the integral management of water resources is presented, with particular emphasis in those ones responsible of the implementation of water quality monitoring programs and the management of environmental data coming from them. Finally, this work presents different WQIs that have been used in Argentina to assess decision-making. Two case studies (Matanza-Riachuelo River basin and Río de la Plata River) have been selected to show how one of them, the WQI of the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment, has been implemented.