Venezuela, Boliv. Rep. of - Aqualex ProfilesFramework Law
The main law applicable to water resources management, which covers all of the following areas: administration; management, conservation and use of freshwater resources; water rights; waterworks; water supply
Constitutional provisions
Date of text: 20 December 1999
Natural resources: The Constitution specifies the matters that fall within the national competence to legislate. These include: management and exploitation of mines and hydrocarbons; abandoned lands; the protection, preservation and exploitation of land, forest resources, water and natural resources; health and food security; potable water; environment; land-use planning (art. 156). All waters are property in the Nation’s public domain, essential to life and development. The necessary provisions shall be established by law to guarantee the protection, utilization, and recuperation thereof, respecting the phases of the hydrological cycle and zoning criteria (art. 304).
Agriculture
Water used for irrigation, forestry and aquaculture
Date of text: 12 April 1977
Date of original text: 09 November 2001 (2010)
Date of text: 29 July 2010
Water Supply and Sanitation
Provision of water services by public utilities or commercial organizations; water supply for domestic, industrial or other purposes; right to safe and clean drinking water and basic sanitation; quality of piped water; sewerage
Date of original text: 20 November 2001 (2007)
Governance
The political, social, economic and administrative systems that govern water management and conservation; good practices; good governance; decentralization; water user’s associations
Date of original text: 20 November 2001 (2007)
Infrastructure
Waterworks; water supply systems; dams; hydropower systems; irrigation systems
Date of original text: 20 November 2001 (2007)
Water Resources Management and Water Rights
Ownership and control of water resources; abstraction and diversion of water; allocation and quotas; riparian rights; priority of rights; free water use
Date of original text: 20 November 2001 (2007)
Water and Environment
Water in environmentally-sensitive areas; ‘water demand’ by ecosystems; protection forests; water conservation zones; environmental impact assessment
Water Quality and Pollution Control
Control of pollution and quality of freshwater bodies and groundwater; agricultural point and non-point sources of pollution; water quality standards
Date of original text: 20 November 2001 (2007)
Groundwater
Freshwater resources located below the surface of the earth; aquifers; groundwater abstraction; well-sinking; boreholes; hydrogeology
Disaster Resilience
Water-related hazards; flood; drought; water shortage; adaptation to climate change; early warning system/emergency intervention system
Transboundary Waters
Transboundary effects; international basin institutions; international agreements; transboundary coordination; transboundary aquifers
Policies
Date of text: 10 December 2019