Brazil launches São Francisco river revitalization plan

The Brazilian government launched Tuesday (Aug. 9) a plan to revitalize the drainage basin of the São Francisco river, one of the most important watercourses in Brazil and South America, running through five states and 521 municipalities in the country. The goal is to promote the sustainable use of natural resources, improve environmental conditions and the amount as well as the quality of water available various purposes.

The initiative aims at providing the conditions to further the region's ecological and economic zoning and consolidate conservation units. The plan is also designed to create new protection areas, strengthen environment law enforcement and solid waste management efforts,  and expand a program to support environment preservation granting benefits to extremely poor families in areas regarded as crucial for environment protection.

National Integration Minister Hélder Barbalho says, “The plan isn't an isolated initiative, but will rather rely on the joint efforts of a number of government agencies. It brings together the agenda for ensuring the quantity and quality of the water [from the river]. We're engaging both private and public, rural and urban sectors, in efforts aimed at the protection and control of springs, sanitation, water infrastructure, irrigation, monitoring, and conservation units.”

According to the minister, from 2016 to 2019, the focus will be turned towards actions designed to complete sanitation and supply projects, in a bid to ensure the population's water supply. “They're short-run [measures]. The actions to be implemented between 2017 and 2026, in turn, will be detailed in the next 90 days.” In this period, organizations will have their suggestions heard in hundreds of municipalities along the river.

“Ensuring the transposition is not enough. It is importat that the São Francisco river should be revitalized,” Hélder Barbalho concluded.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira