In collaboration with social movements in Brazil, the Polaris Institute has sent a message to the Brazilian Ambassador to Canada calling for a halt to the construction of the mega-water diversion project on the São Francisco River in Northeast Brazil.
December 17, 2007
His Excellency Valdemar Carneiro Leäo
Ambassador of Brazil to Canada
450 Wilbrod Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6M8
Dear Mr. Ambassador,
I am writing on behalf of the Polaris Institute in Canada to express grave concerns about the decision of your government to proceed with the construction of the mega water diversion project on the São Francisco River, known as Transposição do rio São Francisco, in Northeast Brazil.
As part of the worldwide water justice movement, the Polaris Institute has been made well aware of this massive construction project to divert water from the São Francisco River. I personally received a full briefing on the issue when I participated as a resource person in a special session on global water policy concerns prior to the World Council of Churches Assembly held in Porto Alegre, February 14-23, 2006. On that occasion, the magnitude of the Transposição do rio São Francisco was vividly portrayed along with the social and ecological consequences. Ever since, Polaris has been monitoring the issue with our partner groups in Brazil, including the recent escalation of events.
As we understand it, the São Francisco river diversion project includes the construction of two canals 400 and 220 km long, which are supposed to transport 26.3 m3/s of water from the São Francisco River to other smaller rivers in the Northeast. In order to overcome major obstacles in altitude, both the northern and eastern canals will be engineered to pump water up some 165m and 364m respectively. In total the project includes nine pumping stations, 27 aqueducts, eight tunnels and 35 water reservoirs as well as two hydroelectric plants.
Accordingly, 70% of the water will be destined for irrigation of agribusiness enterprises, 26% for urban and industrial use [mainly by the city of Fortaleza] and the remaining 4% for the rural population. In order to meet Europe’s rapidly growing demands for bio fuels, especially sugarcane ethanol, agricultural lands will be opened up and irrigated for sugarcane plantations on a massive scale for export. The main beneficiaries will no doubt be agribusiness enterprises, primarily the huge sugarcane plantations, plus fruit and shrimp farming.
By all accounts, the São Francisco River diversion is an extremely costly enterprise. According to the Program for Acceleration of Economic growth (PAC), the project will consume half of all public investment in water infra-structure. As we understand, over the next four years investments of 6.6 billion Reais (2.4 billion Euros, or US$3.4 billion) are earmarked for the project while its yearly operational expenses are estimated to R$ 93.8 million Reais ( 34.1 million Euros or US$48.6 million.
As tax payers, Brazilian citizens will be expected to pay for the lion’s share of this mega project primarily designed to provide bio fuels for export to Europe. Water costs, in turn, are projected to increase five-fold in the region. Meanwhile, even international financial institutions like the World Bank are highly dubious about the plan. Indeed, one World Bank study argues against granting a loan for the project because there is insufficient evidence that it will contribute to real poverty reduction in the region let alone the country.
In fact, it is the people who depend most on the
São Francisco River for their livelihood --- the poor local communities along the river, the fisherfolk, the Indigenous peoples, and the small farmers --- that will pay the heaviest costs. Although this semi arid region faces water shortages, the main problem is not the lack of water but the inequitable distribution of water. Indeed, studies show there are much less expensive and more effective alternatives to the diversion project. According to a recent study by the National Water Agency, for example, the water supply problem faced by populations of the Northeast region could be resolved through 530 decentralized projects in 1,112 municipalities, at half the cost of the diversion project.
Instead of overcoming the drought conditions of Northeast Brazil by democratizing the renewable water resources of the São Francisco River, this mega project is destined to concentrate the control of water in the hands of economic elites, notably, agribusiness. Moreover, climate change experts point out that the Brazilian government’s decision to proceed with this mega project ignores the impacts of global warming. Various independent studies by scientists show that the water flows of the São Francisco River will decrease by 20 percent due to global warming impacts in the Northeast region.
As you know, there has been widespread opposition to this mega project not only by people in the Northeast region but by Brazil’s mass social movements. The Landless Workers’ Movement (MST), Movement of Dam–Affected People (MAB), Movement of Small Farmers (MPA), the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), the Pastoral Fishers Commission (CPP) and many other social movements have formed a unique alliance with fishing communities and indigenous people to halt the beginning of dam and canal construction through non-violent actions.
Recently, this resistance has been personified and galvanized by the hunger strike of the Catholic bishop in the region, Dom Luiz Cappio. Two years ago, Dom Cappio agreed to forego his initial fast in protest against the São Francisco mega project when the Brazilian government promised to halt construction and begin a dialogue with the affected communities and social movements. However, when the government abandoned its commitment to dialogue and sent in the military to begin the construction of dams and canals, Dom Cappio resumed his hunger strike on November 27th.
Your Excellency, the Polaris Institute joins with Dom Cappio and the mass social movements of Brazil in drawing public attention, here in Canada and elsewhere in the world, to the potentially disastrous consequences of the massive water diversion of the São Francisco River project. We also join in calling for a halt to this mega project and urge that the much more viable alternatives proposed for water distribution in the region be pursued. We respectfully request that you convey our concerns to President Lula and the appropriate ministries in the government of Brazil.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Tony Clarke
President and Director
Polaris Institute