Overview of systematic monitoring networks for surface water quality in the Amazon River Basin

Water quality monitoring is essential for water resource management, especially when carried out systematically (continuously, standardized, and with data available), where it is possible to statistically analyze each parameter and generate a historical series. The Amazon River basin is important for biodiversity and climate regulation and is home to a variety of economic activities, which makes monitoring extremely valuable for decision-making. Currently, the Amazon River basin has four systematic water quality monitoring networks: the National Hydrometeorological Network (RHN), the Surface Water Quality Monitoring Network (RNQA), the Hidrosat virtual network, and the Amazonas Water, Air, and Soil Quality Monitoring Program (ProQAS/AM). The RHN is the oldest, with the best spatial distribution and the fewest parameters measured. Hidrosat only estimates the parameter of suspended sediment. ProQAS/AM is systematic only in Manaus-AM. Finally, the RNQA is a recent network established by ANA and coordinated by the states to generate continuous water quality information, but it has concentrated points that leave geographical gaps. Based on the overview presented, it is possible to conduct numerous studies with data from the systematic networks and even evaluate the efficiency of each initiative's operation, in order to obtain increasingly reliable and continuous data.