River basin committees are presented as an alternative that prioritizes decision-making about the management of water resources based on discussion and integration between public authorities, users and organized civil society, allowing different values ​​and interests to be added to decision-making processes. The aim of this work, through the application of questionnaires, was to capture the perception of the members of the Middle Paraíba do Sul Basin Committee on the main problems associated with water management and their dimensions of ecological and social value, in the hydrographic region of the Middle Paraíba do Sul/RJ. The results indicate a consensus in the interviewees' perception of the importance of environmental education, integration, decentralization and social participation in water management, as well as the perception of water resource problems in the region. It is concluded that the CBH-MPS is in an advanced stage of development and implementation of the PNRH, mainly in the exercise of participation. However, it still needs to overcome the limitations in the effectiveness of this participation and in the scope of the decisions taken in plenary, limitations that depend not only on the committee's performance, but on the integration and cooperation between the other instances of the water resources management system, at the state and federal levels.