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24 Mining Look Closely the Mountains
28 Enviroment The Terrific Now Brazilian Northeast Winery
54 Essay
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46 It Happenened Tourism
38 Profile Luciana Khoury
34 Actions CBHSF
A TOAST TO 2025
In Piazza Navona, Rome, stands the Fontana Dei Quattro Fiumi, a symbol of the vital role rivers have played in human history. Designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, a master of Italian Baroque, between 1648 and 1651, the monument celebrates four major rivers of the 17th century: the Nile in Africa, the Ganges in India, the Plata in South America, and the Danube in Europe. Since time immemorial, great civilizations have risen along the banks of great rivers. Paradoxically, over the centuries, the very rivers that enabled their flourishing have been brought to ruin.
How can we change this sad narrative? Experiences from around the globe show that the path lies in Water Usage Fees. The report “By the Rivers of the World” takes us on a journey to explore the state of fee systems and the consequent revitalization of nine rivers that flow through key countries—from the Volga in Russia, through the Seine in France and the Thames in England, to the Mississippi in the United States. Another feature, “The Cost of Water”, examines Brazil’s water legislation: Who pays? How much does it cost? How is it collected? Why is it important?
In the Green Pages, climatologist Carlos Nobre, a global authority on climate change, issues a red alert: we must care for the planet, especially its water resources, or humanity will face extinction by the next century. “Our targets must be infinitely more ambitious; we may need to achieve netzero emissions well before 2040. This will be the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced,” he told CHICO magazine. Meanwhile, the article “Look Closely at the Mountains” discusses how Vale Mining Company’s Apollo Project threatens the Serra do Gandarela, located in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, where the last intact aquifer of the Iron Quadrangle lies.
The good news is that culture endures. In “Poetry of Resistance”, we delve into the stories and serendipities of Fliparacatu, the International Literary Festival of Paracatu, a city in Minas Gerais nourished by the largest tributary of the São Francisco River, the Paracatu River. For five days, the city’s historic center hosted prominent names in Brazilian literature, such as Aylton Krenak, Conceição Evaristo, and Itamar Vieira Jr.
To close the year, we raise a toast with the sertanejo wines. Now a hub for wine tourism, the São Francisco Valley offers not only breathtaking landscapes but also a menu to suit all palates.
Happy 2025!
Illustration: Albino Papa
By: karla Monteiro
Pictures: Kel Dourado
THEN WE WILL BE CLOSE TO THE
SIXTH EXTINTION
Climatologist Carlos Nobre, a world reference when it comes to global warming, is not optimistic. If everything continues as it is, without radical changes, by the next century humanity will be extinct. It would be the “sixth extinction,” according to him. Over the last 500 million years, the Earth has gone through five periods in which life was wiped out. These periods are known as the five great mass extinctions. Now, in June 2023, a dangerous threshold was crossed, with the planet’s temperature rising by 1.5 degrees. If this increase is confirmed in the next two or three years, things could get worse. “The targets will have to be infinitely more ambitious. We may have to eliminate all emissions of gases long before 2040. It will be the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced,” he said to CHICO magazine.
At 73, Nobre is the first Brazilian scientist to join the Planetary Guardians, a group of researchers and activists created by billionaire Richard Branson. The mission of the so-called planetary guardians includes several initiatives, such as developing and disseminating scientific research on the environment, defending vulnerable populations, and promoting energy transition. Born in São Paulo, Nobre is also a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and is part of the Royal Society. He was also part of the team that, along with former U.S. President Al Gore, received the Nobel Peace Prize for raising awareness of the risks of global warming. His research on the savannization of the Amazon supports studies on the feared tipping point of the forest.
“I was the first to publish a scientific article in 1990 about the risks of climate change for the Amazon, which is now on the brink of collapse,” Nobre said to CHICO. “We are so close to the tipping point that we need to immediately stop deforestation and degradation. We still have to restore a vast amount of forest, I would say, no less than 500,000 square kilometers.”
What is the legacy of Jair Bolsonaro’s government for the environment? In your opinion, does the former president’s denial of the climate crisis have consequences today?
All over the world, we are seeing the election of populist politicians, mainly from the far right, but also from the far left. And these populists are climate change deniers, as were former President Donald Trump and former President Jair Bolsonaro. In the United States, during the Trump administration, greenhouse gas emissions increased significantly. The same happened here, with no environmental policies in place. On the contrary, during the previous government in Brazil, deforestation exploded, nearly doubling in the Amazon. Additionally, we saw the expansion of traditional livestock farming. There was also no policy to adapt populations to the new reality of the planet. In all respects, when such politicians are elected, we see setbacks. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. If re-elected, he promised to authorize all oil and natural gas explorations. This will have a negative impact on the world. Everything is concerning. Bolsonaro’s government was extremely worrying. Before the G20 meeting in Italy, for example, he even visited the Raposa do Sol Indigenous Land in Roraima, meeting with illegal miners, rewarding an economic model that destroys ecosystems. Since the climate crisis started being discussed, Brazil has not had a more denialist president.
President Lula took office with the opposite discourse, even proposing to lead the necessary global changes to tackle the climate issue. What has advanced, and what has been just talk?
Logically, just the presence of Minister Marina Silva at the Ministry of the Environment already changes the approach. She has been talking about very important practices for a long time, and now we see them being debated or implemented. We know that, in 2022, 75% of our emissions came from deforestation in the Amazon and the Cerrado, in addition to practices related to livestock farming. Therefore, President Lula took office promising to eliminate deforestation in all biomes by 2030, and we indeed had significant success. In 2023, deforestation in the Amazon was reduced by 50% compared to 2022. And deforestation in the Atlantic Forest decreased by 26%. Unfortunately, deforestation in the Cerrado increased. Overall, the government’s policy on deforestation has been positive. However, in 2024, with the fires, the degradation worsened. Almost all the fires were illegal. Droughts and heatwaves, of course, exacerbate the situation, but the main issue was organized crime trying to win this battle. Other than that, the Lula government has not yet acted efficiently on policies to adapt populations to climate change. This is very delayed in Brazil.
When talking about targets to contain the rise in ocean temperatures, what are we talking about?
The Paris Agreement of 2015 established that the increase in Earth’s temperature should not exceed 2 degrees, with the ideal being not surpassing 1.5 degrees. To contain the temperature, targets for reducing gas emissions were set. However, at COP26 in 2021, in Scotland, it was established that we absolutely cannot reach 2 degrees, as the risk to the planet would be catastrophic. It was agreed that the target would be a 46% reduction in emissions by 2030, with net-zero emissions by 2050. However, as of June last year, we already reached the
1.5-degree increase. If we continue like this in the next two years, consolidating this 1.5-degree temperature rise, the targets will have to be infinitely more ambitious. We will likely have to eliminate all emissions much earlier than 2040. It will be the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced. We will need to create huge reforestation projects capable of removing 5.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to ensure we don’t exceed the 1.5-degree threshold. Then, continuing with carbon dioxide removal, we might be able to end the century with a temperature rise below 1.5 degrees. Is this possible?
Yes, but very difficult.
You have already published widely circulated studies about the Amazon’s tipping point. What is the tipping point? Are we close to it?
Yes, I was the first scientist to publish an article in 1990 showing that if there was too much deforestation, we would reach the tipping point in the Amazon. Why? The degradation would reach the entire southern part of the forest because the dry season would increase to six months or more. And this is the climatic envelope of the Cerrado. Since then, we have carried out hundreds of studies. Unfortunately, the Amazon is now very close to the tipping point. From the Atlantic to Bolivia, the dry season has increased by 5 to 6 weeks in four decades, from 1979 onward. In two or three decades, it will likely reach six months per year. At that point, between 50 and 60% of the Amazon will be degraded. This will release about 250 to 350 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, making it impossible to stay below a 1.5-degree temperature rise. We must seek solutions in nature, completely stopping deforestation as soon as possible and combating the actions of organized crime in the region. At COP-28, Brazil launched the restoration arch: to restore 240,000 square kilometers between now and 2050, with 60,000 square kilometers to be restored by 2030. Across the entire Amazon, we need to restore more than 500,000 square kilometers by 2040. Only then can we avoid the tipping point. To do this, we need to create a new economy, a socioeconomy based on standing forests, using the products from the world’s greatest biodiversity.
There is much talk about the Amazon but little about the Cerrado and Caatinga. What would you say about these two severely impacted biomes?
Professor Mercedes Bustamante from the University of Brasília has shown that the Cerrado, like the Amazon, is very close to the tipping point. According to studies from INPE, the National Institute for Space Research, the Caatinga has even expanded over about 200,000 square kilometers of the Cerrado, between the west of Bahia, Maranhão, and Piauí. The Cerrado is becoming semi-arid. The dry season in the Cerrado is getting longer. Professor Mercedes has shown that more than 50% of the Cerrado could turn into semi-arid land. On the other hand, the Caatinga is also near the tipping point. In northern Bahia, the condition is already semi-desert. These two ecosystems are at great risk. We must stop deforestation now and create large reforestation projects.
Some environmentalists say that the São Francisco River is also near its tipping point. Are you familiar with the situation of the São Francisco? Do you have any thoughts on its importance to the country?
The situation of the São Francisco River today is a direct example of the impact of climate change, which, year after year, reduces rainfall in the basin. This has been happening for decades. Additionally, deforestation in the Cerrado and Caatinga causes erosion, leading much sediment into the river. The São Francisco is extremely important to the country. Once again: we need vegetation restoration projects to retain rainwater.
What is the future of water resources in the face of global warming? What does the future hold for water resources?
What we have done is very serious. Especially in Brazil, global warming is greatly affecting the rainfall cycle in many regions of the country. Water resources will significantly reduce for maintaining biodiversity. A large portion of the Caatinga could become semi-desert. A significant part of the Cerrado could become semi-arid. Over 50% of the Amazon could disappear. Great risks lie ahead. If we reach the end of the century with a 3.4-degree temperature rise, it will be ecocide. Then, we will be close to generating the sixth extinction of species.
The American writer Jonathan Franzen wrote an article for Piauí magazine titled “What If We Stopped Pretending?” In the text, he assesses the scenario, the global efforts, and concludes that we should face the fact that we are heading toward the extinction of humanity. Do you agree? Is there a future?
His article is true. We expected to reach a 1.5-degree rise by 2030 or 2035. However, we are achieving this ten years earlier. If we continue with greenhouse gas emissions as they are today, we certainly will not have a future.
Leo Boi
THE COST OF WATER
Who Pays? How Much Does It Cost? How Is the Fee Charged? Why Is It Important? The revenue collected from Water Use Charges is the most effective way to finance projects for the recovery of the São Francisco Basin.
Since the early 2000s, Water Use Charges have been under discussion. Officially established in 1997 by the socalled “Water Law,” this mechanism has been implemented progressively across river basins. To date, 34 river basins utilize the resources generated by this vital economic tool for water management. The forecast is that by 2025, the charge will be applied to all basin committees.
The importance is evident. The funds collected enable the structuring of programs, actions, and interventions included in the Basin Committees’ Water Resource Plans, always aiming to improve the quantity and quality of river water.
According to the National Water Agency (ANA), “this charge is not a tax but a remuneration for using a public good: water. All users who extract, discharge effluents, or engage in consumptive uses directly from water bodies must pay the established amount.”
Each committee determines the amount based on broad discussions among the government, civil society, and users. Thiago Barros, ANA’s Financial Sustainability and Charges Coordinator, explained that the agency issues invoices and sends them to users with water use permits. “As this revenue is collected in the basin, it is fully transferred to the Peixe Vivo Agency (APV) [the Committee’s executive secretariat] for implementing the Basin Plan,” Barros added.
By: Léo Ramos, Arthur de Viveiros and Deisy Nascimento
Pictures: Léo Boi
WHAT IS A WATER PERMIT?
According to ANA, “it is an official authorization for the legitimate exercise of the right to access water within quantitative and qualitative control parameters.” The purpose is to ensure quantitative and qualitative control over water usage and the effective exercise of water access rights. Users who extract water or discharge effluents must request a permit from the appropriate authority for this purpose. Small-scale extractions and discharges, referred to as “insignificant,” are exempt from requiring a permit. It is up to the management authority of each basin to define which volumes are considered insignificant. “The permit relates to the right of use, while the charge pertains to water management,” explained Marcus Vinícius Polignano, vice president of CBHSF.
In the São Francisco Basin
For the São Francisco River Basin Committee (CBHSF), the process was no different. It was the third committee in the country to implement Water Use Charges for rivers under federal jurisdiction in July 2010. Current charge rates, detailed on ANA’s website, were defined on September 15, 2016, when the CBHSF approved the update to its Water Resources Plan (PRH) for 2016–2025. This update revised the rates. Today, for raw water extraction, the charge is R$ 0.0158 per cubic meter. For consumption, it is R$ 0.0316 per cubic meter. Effluent discharge incurs a charge of R$ 0.0016 per cubic meter.
Users are responsible for self-monitoring, which involves measuring, recording, and storing data on water extraction, discharge, and quality. These data must be sent to ANA, which calculates the payable amount. Users must download the invoice directly from the agency’s website.
PWhere Does the Money Go?
The revenue collected by ANA is entirely transferred to CBHSF through the Peixe Vivo Agency. André Horta, APV’s Strategic Management Manager, explained, “The financial resources collected through the charge are transferred to River Basin Agencies, such as the Peixe Vivo Agency, which contract studies, works, and projects to implement the Water Resources Plans established by Basin Committees.”
From there, the CBHSF collective leads the allocation of funds by selecting priority projects and actions. The selection criteria, approved by CBHSF, are technical and public, while APV oversees the implementation.
“This creates a direct return cycle to users through the continuous improvement of water quality and availability,” Horta emphasized. “This integrated management ensures water sustainability, meeting current and future needs.”
Marcus Vinícius Polignano, CBHSF Vice President, stated that the funds are directed via the Master Water Resources Plan (PDRH), with the application plan decided by the Technical Chamber for Plans, Programs, and Projects (CTPPP). “We try to address all demands from grassroots entities, Regional Consultative Chambers (CCRs), the public, and communities, through planning conducted with the basin agency,” he explained.
Funds can finance Hydro-Environmental Recovery Projects, Municipal Basic Sanitation Plans, seminars, meetings, and events. According to APV, by August 2024, CBHSF had implemented nearly R$ 10.5 million in projects, directly and indirectly benefiting users across the basin.
One example is a completed irrigation management training project, which directly benefited permit holders. CBHSF invested over R$ 1 million in this project, providing knowledge that improves productivity while promoting the rational use of water resources.
Challenges of Non-Compliance
Despite being a crucial management tool, revenue from Water Use Charges could be much higher if not for non-payment. “From 2019 to 2024, unpaid amounts total approximately R$ 54.015 million. This is a significant figure, considering that the basin collected R$ 43 million last year,” Barros pointed out.
To illustrate, the unpaid funds could finance 75 individual domestic effluent treatment projects or 25 major works, such as connecting Penedo’s Historic Center sewage system to its Treatment Station (ETE).
“All water permit holders have a legal obligation to make these payments,” Polignano reiterated. For him, paying for water use not only fulfills a legal requirement but also symbolizes the value of a shared resource.
“We see many users fulfilling their legal obligations, benefiting the collective and themselves. However, some fail to comply, which hinders the Committee’s ability to fully execute its actions,” Polignano remarked.
For Polignano, paying for water use is not merely a legal requirement but a significant socio-environmental contribution that ensures the vitality of the São Francisco River, sustaining populations and economies throughout the basin.
Proposed Methodology Change Sparks Concerns
In November 2024, ANA launched Public Consultation No. 08/2024 to gather societal input on proposed changes to Article 7 of Resolution ANA No. 124/2019, which outlines operational procedures for charging water use in federal domains.
The proposal suggests charging for water use in a given year in the following year. For the São Francisco, Doce, Paraíba do Sul, and PCJ river basins, the transition would allow users to request same-year charges for three years.
During a November meeting of the Lower São Francisco CCR, concerns were raised about the financial impacts of this transition, potentially jeopardizing planned projects.
The CBHSF president emphasized the need for mobilization to avoid setbacks in water management and ongoing projects.
EACH ONE’S STORY
In various nations, whether through laws, privatization initiatives, strong state regulation, or expectations of immediate change, the debate over charging for water use and the consequent revitalization of rivers progresses, but there is no one-sizefits-all solution.
When it comes to global warming, it essentially boils down to one thing: a water crisis. According to the United Nations in the article titled “Water and Climate Change,” the impact is evident, with increasingly prolonged droughts and devastating floods. Moreover, glaciers are melting. From now on, humanity’s greatest challenge may well be to preserve and revitalize springs and rivers. But how can this be achieved? Where can funding be sourced? For experts on the subject, Water Use Charges might be the only viable path. Around the world, governments and civil society are debating the issue. What is the best charging model? From the United States to Germany, passing through Canada, England, and France, strategies vary. Each country is at a different stage in its projects, but the challenge is the same: balancing water resource management with economic growth.
Since 1997, when Brazil’s National Water Resources Plan was introduced, the country has drawn inspiration from the French experience. France led the way as a pioneer in river recovery actions supported by Water Use Charges. There, the water resource management model was implemented as early as 1966. Even so, during the Paris Olympics, the proud French faced tough times. Despite the government having spent $1.4 billion on revitalizing the Seine River, high pollution levels were recorded on the eve of the games, prompting protests and questions about the charging mechanisms. In France, legislation takes into account the sector’s activity— industrial, mining, sanitation, agriculture, energy generation, among others.
According to Professor Patrick Laigneau of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, the French system was initially divided into different types of charges. Today, with regulatory improvements, there are seven categories: charges for water abstraction, pollution levels, modernization of sewage collection networks, diffuse pollution, water storage during drought periods, barriers in watercourses (dams), and aquatic ecosystem protection. Starting in 2008, with the exponential increase in pollutionrelated fees, users protested against higher bills, leading to a change in the charging system. A “modernization of sewage collection networks” charge was introduced, and pollution charges became directly proportional to the volume of water billed to domestic users.
The Thames and Re-Privatization
The United Kingdom, meanwhile, is grappling with its water management regulations. Currently, it is even considering changing its policies for companies in the sector, potentially renationalizing much of the industry. It is important to note, however, that despite these challenges, the River Thames— England’s iconic river and one of the most important in the world—remains a significant example of what can be achieved in terms of restoration. Once considered biologically dead, the Thames rebounded in less than 50 years of investment. In the 19th century, it was known as “The Great Stink,” spreading diseases like cholera. The first step toward change was constructing a sewage collection system.
Since then, treatment plants have been expanded. Every day, boats cruise the Thames, removing trash mapped through video cameras, radars, and sonars. Thanks to these efforts, life has returned, with 125 fish species and over 400 invertebrate species now thriving. The river’s cleanup was also the result of treatment plant upgrades, waste discharge monitoring, processing organic and inorganic materials, and pipeline repairs. However, these achievements are under threat. Among the key challenges observed not only in the Thames but also in various rivers across the UK is flood management, which has become more frequent with climate change.
Additionally, water management has become a battleground for competing interests, including agricultural, industrial, and public supply demands.
This year, with the appointment of the UK’s new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, he committed to exploring alternatives. Research shows that private companies responsible for water and sewage treatment have been underperforming, with significant losses, river pollution, and coastal waters receiving untreated sewage. In the UK, the sector is regulated by the Water Supply Act of 1989 and the Water Management Act of 2010. The former establishes the legal framework for water supply and sanitation services, while the latter addresses issues related to water resource quality and management.
“It was a gamble by the conservative government that didn’t pay off—unless you’re a CEO or shareholder of a water company,” commented Donna Rowe-Merriman, Environmental Director at Unison (a leading independent European rights management organization offering multi-territorial licensing services). “It failed disastrously.”
Mississippi on fire
The United States does not have a single “water law” but rather various legislations guiding water consumption and management. At the federal level, the country relies on the Clean Water Act (CWA), focused on controlling surface water contamination, and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), aimed at ensuring the quality of drinking water. Frequently updated, the CWA addresses the protection of surface water quality by regulating pollutant discharges. It also recognizes environmental standards set by states for water bodies, which establish guidelines for the installation of treatment plants.
The CWA further mandates that industries and other facilities— such as schools, hospitals, public sanitation companies, and water treatment facilities—obtain permits (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES) to discharge treated waste into rivers. In the U.S., 46 out of 50 states are currently “authorized” to issue these permits. Meanwhile, the SDWA focuses on setting standards to maintain the quality of drinking water, whether sourced from surface or underground water bodies.
Although the U.S. water resource management framework is based on the provisions of the CWA and SDWA, its implementation varies by state. Since the late 1980s, Congress has authorized direct fund transfers to state governments.
The Mississippi River, the most famous in the United States, also serves as the country’s main waterway, supplying billions of gallons of freshwater daily to major industries and drinking water for 20 million people across 50 cities. However, in recent years, the river has faced significant challenges requiring more intense intervention, such as historically low water levels. This has restricted boat traffic and substantially reduced revenue from tolls.
Various programs are being studied and implemented to address these issues. Still, the task force created for this purpose is seeking additional partnerships with universities, agricultural organizations, and communities to enhance the effectiveness of its efforts.
Great Lae’s Slave
Canada’s principal river, the Mackenzie, stretches 4,241 kilometers and originates in the Rocky Mountains, at a place aptly named Great Slave Lake. With 7% of the planet’s renewable freshwater reserves, Canada is one of the world’s largest producers of hydroelectric power, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). However, climate change, cou-pled with excessive industrial use, poses significant threats to water supply and quality. Organizations such as The Council of Canadians emphasize that the country’s high water consumption occurs not in households—where usage is minimal—but in hydropower ge-neration and water-intensive industries.
Canada regulates freshwater usage through a series of federal, provincial, and municipal laws. Among the key legislations is the Canada Water Act, a federal water resources law established in 1985 and periodically updated to set management rules for water use. The Federal Water Policy of 1987 outlines the integration of responsibilities among the three levels of government: provinces oversee water within their boundaries, municipali-ties manage the treatment and distribution of potable water to their communities, and the federal government handles waters flowing through national parks, Indigenous reser-ves, and other federal territories, as well as transboundary waters between Canada and the United States.
In 2020, the federal government invested $155 million in a clean growth program targe-ting the energy, mining, and forestry sectors. This initiative aims to accelerate the deve-lopment of clean technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. Part of these projects is financed by Canadian pension funds, which are among the largest in the world, managing over $2 trillion in assets.
For many analysts, the financialization of water is a global phenomenon, but Canadian pension funds are playing a leading role in this field. This leadership raises concerns about potential risks, such as the privatization of water resources, environmental degradation, and increased water prices.
Rhine,
Danube and Elbe
In Germany, a country of historic rivers such as the Rhine, the Danube, and the Elbe, the legal system that regulates water is based on various laws. One of the main ones is the Federal Water Act (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz – WHG) of 2009, which establishes the gene-ral principles for the protection and management of water resources. The WHG covers rules ranging from water quality management to flood protection and the sustainable use of water resources. Regarding the institutions responsible, the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt – UBA) stands out. The process of charging for water use in Ger-many began in 1981, and the liable party is any urban user or industry that discharges wa-ste into rivers.
In a country with strong municipal power, local consortia have been formed in various ba-sins to find appropriate methods for sanitation and supply. However, the federal and state governments remain the regulators and managers of the system. The charge for effluent discharge is subsidized by regulations that stipulate that waste emissions cannot exceed uniform pollution standards, as it is understood that even in small amounts, emissions cause economic disruptions.
In Germany, the charge for water use relates to the consumption of raw and treated wa-ter, such as charges for the extraction of surface and groundwater, which is practiced in some states, and charges for pollution established by the Sewage Fee Act. There is also a policy for full cost recovery in water and sewage tariffs and charges for stormwater treatment. Water supply, in turn, is managed by both public and private companies. Currently, debates are common regarding differences between public and private interests in mana-ging water resources. 4o mini
The Euphrates and the Tigris
In Turkey, where rivers like the Euphrates and the Tigris are located, the legal system for monitoring and managing these water resources operates under the framework of the Water Law of 1983. The legislation covers the management of water resources, including protection, use, distribution, and control of water throughout the country, providing clear guidelines for the sustainable management of water resources, the prevention of supply issues, and the promotion of efficient water use across different sectors. Water supply is managed by various companies, both public and private. One of the main public companies is DSI (General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works), responsible for the construction and operation of infrastructure such as dams, canals, and irrigation systems. Additionally, there are private companies operating in the sector in Turkey, such as the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI), responsible for water supply in the metropolitan area of Istanbul.
Volga, the largest
Russia, the largest country in the world by territorial extent, is traversed by significant rivers such as the Volga (the largest in Europe) and the Yenisei, in addition to having ex-tensive lake systems, such as Lake Baikal, the deepest in the world. According to resear-cher Lucas Tonaco, an expert in water resource management in Russia, the system of wa-ter laws is mainly governed by the “Water Law of the Russian Federation,” enacted on June 3, 2006. This legislation covers various issues related to the management, protec-tion, and use of water resources in the country. It emphasizes the guarantee of sustainabi-lity and environmental protection of water bodies, establishing rights and responsibilities for the administration of water resources, pollution control, and the rational exploitation of rivers and lakes.
The same legislation also regulates the granting of permits for activities that affect water, such as the construction of hydroelectric plants, dredging works, and water extraction for industrial and agricultural purposes. The management of water resources is carried out by several institutions, with the most important being the “Federal Service for Water Resour-ces” (Rosvodresursy), created in 2004. The water supply system is predominantly state-run.
A Fonte dos Quatro Rios
In Piazza Navona, in Rome, stands the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, a symbol of the central role rivers have played in human history. Designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, an artist of Italian Baroque, between 1648 and 1651, the monument celebrates the four major rivers of the 17th century: the Nile in Africa; the Ganges in India; the Plata in South America; and the Danube in Europe. Above the fountain is a 16-meter-high obelisk that once belonged to the Circus of Maxentius. Public fountains then served two purposes: first, to provide water to the population, and secondly, as tributes to the popes. In the case of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, the commission was made by Pope Innocent X.
By: Paulo Barcala
Mining
Pictures: Bianca Aun and Robson Oliveira
The Gandarela Mountain Range, one of the last refuges of biodiversity and crystalclear waters in Minas Gerais, is under threat from mining.
Bianca Aun
Back in the 1970s, a sticker drew attention to the need to preserve the mountain ranges surrounding Belo Horizonte. Five decades later, it was time for the Gandarela Mountain Range to come under the radar of Vale. Experts confirm that the Apollo Project, long cherished by the mining company and now resumed, could wipe out the last intact aquifer in the iron quadrangle.
On the outskirts of Belo Horizonte, the Gandarela Mountain Range, a part of the Espinhaço mountain chain, hides treasures: the largest deep and intact aquifer in the entire Iron Quadrangle; hundreds and hundreds of springs, many of which flow to form the Rio das Velhas, the longest tributary of the São Francisco River; the second largest continuous area of Atlantic Forest in Minas Gerais; countless waterfalls, as well as a spectacular display of biodiversity, with endemic fauna and flora and endangered species. At the top of the mountain, among more than a hundred caves, there is still a “paleotoca,” a cave dug by giant sloths that lived in the region some ten thousand years ago. Such vast natural wealth should be enough to ensure preservation, right? Unfortunately, no. In Vale’s sights, the Gandarela Mountain Range has only 20% of its area within the Serra do Gandarela National Park, a federal conservation unit created in 2014. “What was left out are 80% of the ridge (recharge area) and the greatest singularities, such as the cavities of maximum relevance,” explained Paulo Rodrigues, a professor at the Center for Development of Nuclear Technology (CDTN).
At least since 2009, Vale has cherished the project to mine the region. To name the venture, it chose the name of a God: Apollo, the God of beauty, but also the God of sudden death. The mining company’s plans include the suppression of 1,054 hectares of Atlantic Forest and a pit that will involve lowering the land by 80 to 100 meters on average, with a maximum of 240 meters, and cutting through the mountain for a stretch of six or seven kilometers, destroying the aquifer irreparably.
To store the 230 million cubic meters of waste, two massive piles—whose dikes to contain sediments need to be listed in the National Register of Mining Dams and already have predicted flooding spots—will reach heights equivalent to 68 and 84-story buildings, posing a major risk of erosion. Additionally, during the dry season, the strong winds at the top of the mountain, which will disperse the dust, blow directly towards Belo Horizonte.
Vale maintains that the “new proposal” is “the result of research and advancements in engineering practices for safer and more sustainable mining.” It also informs that “the project expects the production of about 14 million tons per year, without the use of water in the beneficiation of iron ore,” eliminating “the need for dams.” The company adds that the “new Apollo Project occupies 32% less area than the initial proposal of 2009.” For Maria Teresa Corujo, a member of the Rio das Velhas River Basin Committee, an educator with a specialization in Environmental Education and an environmental activist, this discourse is “mere marketing strategy” because “the pit that destroys the aquifer is 50 or 60 hectares larger than in the old project.” She asks: “What is this new concept if the main thing, in terms of water, has gotten worse?”
According to Rodrigues, the professor from CDTN, the tragedy could indeed be indescribable. Due to its high cliffs, the Serra do Gandarela blocks the passage of humid air masses from the Atlantic Ocean, increasing the amount of rain at the peaks. This is called “orographic rain,” which, in Gandarela, finds ideal conditions to infiltrate the soil: “A large recharge zone at the tops of the hills, a geological layer that is not horizontal, as in other aquifers, but very verticalized and deep, with water found up to one kilometer deep.” The geological characteristics of the Itabirito formation, hard and porous, facilitate resistance to erosion and allow easy infiltration. Therefore, “due to its large storage capacity,” says Rodrigues, there is frequent occurrence “of waterfalls at the top of the hill.”
Another highlight is the quality of the groundwater. In Northeast Brazil, where there is groundwater over large areas, “in general, it is brackish, as the percolation process and stagnation in the aquifer end up dissolving minerals.” However, in Gandarela, as part of the Iron Quadrilateral Aquifer, “neither quartz nor iron dissolves.” The claim that the waters from the mountain range feed into the Velhas River downstream of the Bela Fama intake, and therefore wouldn’t interfere with the water supply for the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Region, is also unfounded. “If the Ribeirão da Prata discharges after Bela Fama, should the rest of the basin be disregarded? The more the Velhas recovers downstream, the more comfortable it is for the upstream intake,” commented Rodrigues, who also discussed the “regional recharge, the rainwater that, instead of returning as a spring nearby, goes much farther from where the rain fell and not always in the form of a spring, but sometimes as underground water, the ‘drowned springs.’ And the many rains that fall on Gandarela may resonate in this way, and we have reasons to believe, before Bela Fama.”
Long-standing fight
Marcus Vinícius Polignano, Vice President of CBHSF, is also a founder and member of the coordination of the Manuelzão Project, a pioneering initiative by the UFMG School of Medicine that, in the late 1990s, combined health, citizenship, and the environment. According to him, the fight for the Serra do Gandarela goes back a long way. Since the first decade of this century, “the Apolo Project had already been discussed.” “We united the movements in favor of the idea of countering mining exploitation in this region so precious from a hydrological and environmental perspective,” commented Polignano. In 2009, the Guaicuy Institute, an NGO supporting the Manuelzão Project, presented the proposal for the creation of the Serra do Gandarela National Park: “We then achieved priority over mining projects.” However, “a large portion of the original limits of the Park was removed from the original project.” “Vale took a bite where the paleotoca area, which has legal protection, is, and also in a region of the highly rich aquifer that will be severely impacted.”
Paulo Rodrigues agrees: “The park that was created was not the one that was envisioned, contradicting the original design by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). The decree for its creation is peculiar in that the base cartography that guides it is that of Vale.”
For Polignano, in the face of the water crisis linked to climate extremes, one cannot afford to lose a single drop of water. “In this world of catastrophes, every reserve is sacred,” he stated. That’s why CBHSF is carefully monitoring the unfolding events in the Serra do Gandarela: “The fight for the protection of water sources throughout the São Francisco River basin is vital, and it is embraced by the Committee, and one of these fights is the protection of Gandarela.” “We understand,” he said, “that mining has been exploiting this Iron Quadrilateral Aquifer for over a century and needs to consider the long-term effects on the water and environmental heritage of this region, which is essential to preserve what we still have in reserve for current and future society. Depleting it is taking away rights from future generations.”
As one of the founders of the Manuelzão Project, Polignano defends the equation that does not separate citizenship from the environment: “We cannot disconnect these things, the world is one. Our society decided to fragment it into several pieces, separating man and nature.” What is at stake in the Serra do Gandarela is exactly this, the concept of integrity. Currently, the region already faces the threat of dozens of mining waste dams, many in various emergency levels, with one of them at the highest level. The potential rupture of just one of these structures would compromise the water supply for the state capital and the Metropolitan Region for a long time — possibly years — making the immense aquifer of the Serra do Gandarela even more precious.
“After the aquifers of the Rola Moça Mountains, Serrinhas, Congonhas, Ouro Preto, Mariana, and Itabira have been depleted, Gandarela is the last preserved aquifer formation in the Quadrilátero,” warned Professor Daniel Neri, from the Federal Institute of Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto campus, the birthplace of the Velhas River. “It’s a crime against humanity to waste water. The aquifer is the most immediate backup for the capital.”
Robson Oliveira
is not only about preserving its species but also about safeguarding its importance for environmental balance.
Arnica, a plant commonly found in the Serra do Gandarela, blooms amidst the region’s unique biodiversity. Protecting this sanctuary
Bianca
Aun
THE TERRIFIC
Este ano, queimadas atingiram níveis alarmantes e devastaram grandes áreas do país, comprometendo ecossistemas inteiros, colocando espécies em risco e intensificando as mudanças climáticas
Fernando Piancastelli
TERRIFIC
NOW
In 2024, a red alert was triggered, with monstrous floods in Rio Grande do Sul and prolonged droughts in several states of Brazil. Between fire and water, what can be done to delay the end of the world? According to experts, the moment demands action.
The dystopian future, depicted in science fiction films, has arrived. In 2024, with the major floods in Rio Grande do Sul and prolonged droughts across the country, causing terrifying fires, what was seen was destruction. What can be done to delay the end of the world? According to a survey by the federal government, three out of four Brazilians, 73% of the population, live in areas susceptible to the effects of extreme weather events. Produced under the coordination of the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic, the study guided the selection of cities that will receive resources from the new Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), the government’s flagship for risk prevention. The report points to measures such as the construction of slope containment, macro-drainage systems, flow regulation dams, flood control, as well as the recovery of springs and stricter rules to prevent construction on riverbanks.
“The losses could have been smaller if adaptation measures had been implemented, as has been repeatedly recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),” said Professor Valério D. Pillar, from the Quantitative Ecology Laboratory, De-partment of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRS), in an article published in Science.
Researcher Luciana Gatti, from INPE (National Institute for Space Research), agrees: “From 2019 to 2022, we lost 50,000 square kilometers of forest in the Amazon. Then, we reduced deforestation by 40%, but we didn’t reforest the 50,000. It takes decades for the forest to regenerate. Now it’s getting drier, hotter, and the fires are becoming more uncon-trollable. Strengthening command and control measures must continue, and the regula-tory bodies, as well as the indigenous peoples who preserve the forest, need to be valued and supported.”
Awareness is the first step toward change, according to experts. Biologist Renato Rodri-gues, Ph.D. in Geosciences and postdoctoral researcher in Sustainable Management Systems, states that the tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul exemplifies the direct connection between climate change and the intensification of extreme weather events. According to him, “The urgency of taking effective measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change cannot be underestimated.” The implementation of sustainable solutions, from the use of renewable energy to the development of resilient infrastructures, in his view, is “crucial to minimize future impacts.”
“Climate change is a global challenge that requires collective action. Every individual, community, and government must engage in this fight by adopting sustainable practices and supporting policies that promote a greener and more resilient future,” he warned. “The tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul is a clear example of how climate change is altering weather patterns and increasing the vulnerability of regions to extreme events. Unders-tanding this connection is crucial to implementing effective mitigation and adaptation measures that can reduce the impacts of future climate disasters.”
The Salgado Filho Airport in Porto Alegre, recently reopened, was completely flooded during the May flood.
The despair who kills
Research conducted by the social organization Instituto Cidades Sustentáveis (ICS) revealed that 94% of Brazilian municipalities are unprepared for extreme climate events. This group includes all municipalities that have fewer than half of a total of 25 strategies to address floods, inundations, and landslides. The study examined whether preventive measures are included in the Master Plan and the Land Use and Occupation Law. It also looked into whether there are specific laws to address climate-related disasters, municipal risk reduction plans, maps of vulnerable areas, housing programs for population relocation, and contingency plans, among other measures.
To compound the issue of unpreparedness, the population is poorly or superficially informed and largely indifferent to environmental struggles. In 2020, the Pesquisa de Informações Básicas Municipais (Munic), coordinated by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), included an opinion survey with 2,000 people from 130 Brazilian municipalities to assess behavior concerning climate change prevention and actions to mitigate the problem. According to the results, 79% of respondents believe the issue is the responsibility of local governments. For 41%, the main measure should involve increasing and conserving green areas, and for 36%, there should be control over deforestation and occupation in water source areas.
Meanwhile, the numbers are critical. Reports on 2023 and the first ten months of 2024 reveal an alarming situation. According to the World Meteorological Organization’s report (a UN specialized agency), released last May, Brazil experienced 12 extreme climate events in 2023. Of these, nine were considered “unusual” occurrences, one was common, and two were “unprecedented,” including heatwaves, cold spells, torrential rains, floods, and a cyclone. The solution, according to experts, involves many paths: expanding the judiciary’s role in litigation involving environmental issues, enhanced monitoring and enforcement, adoption of technical measures such as dam monitoring and control plans, increased police action to control fires and wildfires, improvements in carbon credit policies, and the revival of already formulated but abandoned strategies.
Save Velho Chico
Since the 1970s, the Old Chico has been living with the specter of climate change. However, in recent years, the fear has spread. The São Francisco basin is entirely Brazilian. According to the secretary of the São Francisco River Basin Committee, Almacks Luiz Silva, the 2021 flood broke a historical cycle of at least four other natural events that occurred exactly at 30year intervals. Now, the flood periods have become completely irregular. In 2021, the intensity of the rains recorded throughout the basin, by the National Center for Disaster Monitoring and Alerts (Cemaden), was above the average, resulting in a flood scenario. A flood was also recorded in 2022. However, since last year, things have changed.
“The cities must prepare not to reverse, because it is already signaled in all riverside cities the level the water can reach depending on the flow rate released. So, what we need is for the rules to be followed, and not to allow construction or agricultural occupation in these areas,” commented Almacks Silva. “Environmental education must be carried out to raise awareness among people that flood-prone areas belong to the river, and when it floods, everything is reclaimed by the waters.”
The statement makes sense. At the end of 2021, a study titled “Assessment of Droughts in the São Francisco River Basin through Land and Satellite Indices,” published in the Swiss journal Remote Sensing, showed that the Velho Chico basin had already lost more than 30,000 hectares of surface water in 35 years.
The scientific data is perceptible to the naked eye. In June of last year, a study conducted by Brazilian researchers showed that 53% of the basin has high and very high vulnerability, and the area with socio-environmental weaknesses totals 337,569 square kilometers (km²). In Parnaíba, the proportion was 37% (121,990 km²).
The study used a combination of indicators. When analyzing adaptive capacity, it was noted that 549,830 kilometers of the area, corresponding to 57%, are at a low and very low level. The São Francisco basin presented a higher area of high and very high exposure, greater than Parnaíba (62.8% and 30.7%).
The sensitivity area is also larger. According to the Socioenvironmental Vulnerability Index (Sevi), which aims to expose different levels of socio-environmental vulnerabilities according to the region’s characteristics, the main limitation to reducing socio-environmental weaknesses in the Parnaíba region is adaptive capacity, with infrastructure, income, and conditions for human development problems. In the São Francisco region, these weaknesses are linked to population density, soil degradation, land use, and climate indicators such as temperature and precipitation.
Statue of Juquinha, one of the main symbols of Serra do Cipó, amidst the destruction caused by the fires in August.
According to one of the authors of the study, Rita Marcia da Silva Pinto Vieira, the analyzed area was 962 thousand square kilometers, home to 20 million people, predominantly in urban areas. Of these, 16 million live in the São Francisco basin and 4 million in the Parnaíba basin. The biologist explained that the Sevi resulted from a combination of indicators related to adaptation (human development, infrastructure, and income), sensitivity (number of dry days, land use and cover, temperature, and soil type), and exposure (population density, land degradation, and desertification). The results were classified as very high, high, moderate, low, and very low.
Rita Marcia emphasized that climate change is expected to worsen the scenario in the coming decades, with the flow of both rivers decreasing by 46% and 26%, due to global warming. She also pointed out that the populations living in poverty in these areas will be more frequently affected by extreme weather events. “The research is important because, knowing which places are most vulnerable, we can analyze the necessary public policies for those areas. This is the great contribution of the study. With the results, we have a map of socio-environmental vulnerability, and from that, we can take various actions, as the data can help in making quick decisions,” she said.
Plínio Falcão, a researcher at the Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Bahia (IFBA), added that the Velho Chico, despite undergoing processes of transposition and channel construction, did not receive the necessary care to remain healthy. According to him, the repercussions of climate change on the São Francisco are happening in different scenarios, such as changes in flow and rainfall patterns in the headwaters and tributaries of the entire basin: “As usual, there is bureaucracy and a lack of political-institutional prioritization, which makes the issue complex in terms of advancing this agenda.”
“The fact is that if it is not revitalized, the river may die. And the question is: what will nature do in response?” Plínio Falcão commented. “What will the thousands of people, fauna, and flora in the five states fed by the river (Minas Gerais, Bahia, Pernambuco, Alagoas, and Sergipe) that depend on its vitality do? How will the dynamics of the various associated ecosystems unfold? These are not science fiction questions or conspiracy theories; they are questions based on predictive realities, many of which have already been diagnosed by science and are known to the Brazilian state. What is needed is immediate action.”
Em agosto deste ano, incêndios devastaram cerca de 8.500 hectares no Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó
FIRE
The report for this year will only be released in 2025, but from what is already known, the situation has worsened significantly. Just regarding wildfires, the area devastated in Brazil between January and August, according to a report from the MapBiomas institute, nearly doubled compared to the same period in 2023. A total of 11.39 million hectares were destroyed—6 million more hectares, or a 116% increase, compared to the previous year. Nearly three out of every four hectares (70%) burned were of native vegetation, primarily in grassland formations, which accounted for a quarter (24.7%) of the total burned area in Brazil during the first eight months of this year.
The study showed that the state of Mato Grosso concentrated 21% of the burned area in Brazil between January and August of this year, with 2.3 million hectares. Roraima, with 1.99 million hectares (17% of the total), and Pará, with 1.56 million hectares (14% of the total), ranked second and third, respectively. Although these three states accounted for more than half (52%) of the burned area during the period, it is in Mato Grosso do Sul that the municipality with the largest burned area is located between January and August of 2024: Corumbá (616,980 hectares). São Félix do Xingu (PA) and Amajari (RR) follow in second and third places, with 277,951 hectares and 250,949 hectares, respectively.
When the comparison is made based on the number of fires, without necessarily considering just wildfires, a study from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) is used, which shows that the number of fires in the Amazon in the first half of 2024 was only surpassed in 2003 and 2004. However, unlike the high deforestation rates observed in those two years, in 2024, the increase in wildfires occurred after two consecutive years of reduced deforestation.
Looking for an update from the federal government on fires in the country based on data from state governments, fire departments, and police, from January 1 to September 9, the number of recorded fire outbreaks this year reached 159,411. To put it into perspective, in all of 2023, the total number of recorded fire outbreaks in the country was 189,901.
When it comes to floods, the assessment is still incomplete. There are no national data, but based on what happened in Rio Grande do Sul, the situation is equally alarming. In Rio de Janeiro alone, in the first two months of the year, more than 100,000 people were affected by the rains, which left about 30,000 people displaced and nearly 1,000 homeless in 92 cities.
Among the people of Rio Grande do Sul, the assessment resulting from the floods that hit the state last May was 213 people dead or missing, 2.4 million people affected, including 600,000 displaced, and unprecedented losses in urban and rural infrastructure, including livestock.
WATER
Actions and Projects CBHSF
Na foto, trecho do Velho Chico em Piranhas (AL), cidade que é cenário de histórias e lutas
Por: Mariana Martins e Juciana Cavalcante
Foto: Edson Oliveira
2024 CBHSF IN ACTION
The year 2024 was a year of hard work at the São Francisco River Basin Committee, across all its instances: Technical Chambers, Regional Consultative Chambers, and the Collegiate Directorate. This summary provides a broad and integrated view of the initiatives, once again reflecting the ongoing commitment to the sustainable management of water resources.
TC = TECHNICAL CHAMBERS
APRIL
Proposal to the Committee's Board for conducting training aimed at the traditional populations of Velho Chico, focusing on the socioeconomic and sustainable development of the communities in the four physiographic regions of the basin.
APRIL
A proposal was presented to the CBHSF Directorate for the development of calls for programs and projects specifically aimed at traditional communities.
JUNE
Proposal for holding a specific meeting on groundwater.
JUNE
Approval of the Technical Chamber's recommendation regarding the study for the Baixo Oeste São Francisco region, connecting the Urucuia outcrop area to the São Francisco River; karst system of the Verde Jacaré River Basin; Tucano-Jatobá / Tacaratu-Inajá Aquifer System or Barreiras Formation, at the mouth of the São Francisco River.
APRIL
Delivery of the reports from the Indigenous Peoples and Quilombola Peoples Seminars, held by CBHSF in 2023, to representatives of the federal government.
JULY
Alignment on plans for the second half of 2024 and for the year 2025.
JULY
FEBRUARY
Discussion on the proposal to update the database of the São Francisco River Basin Water Resources Plan (PRH-SF).
Discussion on the Integrated Plan of the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA) regarding the availability of other sources of funding for application in river basins.
FEBRUARY Discussion on the training of members to monitor the implementation of the Environmental Education Program (PEA-SF).
DECEMBER
OCTOBER
Delivery of works and supplies for the revitalization of rudimentary irrigation channels and the construction of tarp reservoirs in the Rio Preto Basin, in Planaltina (DF).
Debate on the draft of the 2024 Projects Notice, which foresees financial support for actions and events held in the territories.
JANUARY
JUNE
Holding of the Water Producer Program Workshop in Belo Horizonte.
SEPTEMBER
Presentation of ANA Resolution No. 188/2024, which addresses self-monitoring of water use.
Overview of ongoing projects in the Upper São Francisco region.
APRIL
Beginning of the organization of the Seminar on the Water Producer Program.
JUNE
Execution of the campaign Eu Viro Carranca para Defender o Velho Chico 2024.
APRIL
Joint meeting of the Sub-Middle and Lower São Francisco CCRs.
SEPTEMBER
Holding of the Seminar on Water Production and Payment for Environmental Services in Petrolina. Creation of the Women’s Working Group (GT) within the scope of the Sub-Middle São Francisco CCR.
Presentation of the Strategic Action Plan – the Brazilian Semi-Arid Region – focusing on the São Francisco River Basin and the transposition area resulting from the Multiscale Participatory Process 3H-SDGs.
AUGUST CTIL presents to the CCR the competencies and purposes of CBHSF as a means of accountability to society.
MAY
Resumption of the issue of delinquency in the São Francisco River basin, which currently accumulates over R$ 50 million in debts from users.
MAY
JUNE
SEPTEMBER
Presentation of the Partial Report from the Investigative Commission on the Use Conflict in the Baixo São Francisco region (variations in the flow of the Xingó Hydroelectric
Postponement of the training on generating flow series in basins without monitoring data, initiated in April of this year.
CTOC CTIL
MAY
Implementation of the Water Resource Use Conflict
Resolution Procedure, regarding variations in the flow of the Xingó Hydroelectric Power Plant, prompted by MPF-AL.
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
Update of the electoral process notice.
Work begins on the document addressing the update of the CBHSF electoral process.
MARCH
Presentation of the report on the execution of the 2023 goals.
Presentation of an analysis on water user delinquency in the basin conducted by ANA.
JUNE
DECEMBER
AUGUST
The cities to be targeted during the mobilization campaign for the 2025/2029 CBHSF electoral process were chosen.
Approval of the publication of the Unified Procedures for Expression of Interest (PMI).
Approval of the reactivation of the Environmental Education Working Group (GT).
With the aim of highlighting the progress and results of CBHSF projects, the Peixe Vivo Agency provides an updated report of actions every two months. The ongoing projects are financed by funds from the Water Use Charges.
Point your camera at the QR Code and follow the updated reports! Bit.ly/ReportSF2024
Presentation of the draft composition and functions of the Working Group for the review of the database of the São Francisco River Basin Water Resources Plan.
Presentation of the "Eu Viro Carranca para Defender o Velho Chico 2024" campaign.
APRIL
Joint meeting of the CCRs
Sub-Middle and Lower São Francisco. Presentation of the project statuses in the Lower São Francisco region.
OCTOBER
Presentation of an overview of projects to be executed in the São Francisco River Basin within the scope of the Lower São Francisco CCR.
NOVEMBER
Debate on the methodology for Charging for the Use of Raw Water from the São Francisco River.
Debate and proposals from the Lower CCR for the discussion of the CBHSF Annual Budget Plan (2025).
MAY
A request was deliberated for environmental licenses granted to wind and solar energy production projects to include the participation of the Committees and local representations.
Presentation of the report on the water use conflict in the Boa Sorte River basin..
Participation of the CTIL to provide clarifications on the mediation of the conflict due to the flow operations carried out by Chesf in Xingó.
The president of the Committee suggested adding an integrated plan to the PRH-SF, executed with the help of ANA, and a new axis addressing climate change.
The resolution regarding the Working Group on delinquency was approved.
Selection of the cities that will receive irrigator training in 2025.
Presentation of the research project "Casting Nets – a diagnosis of fishing and aquaculture in municipalities along the São Francisco River in the state of Sergipe."
SEPTEMBER
Presentation of the preliminary Annual Budget Plan (POA) for 2025.
Evaluation of actions to request the participation of CBHSF in the Management Council of Resources.
NOVEMBER
Presentation of the projected Annual Budget Plan (POA) for the next three years.
Approval of the guidelines for the 2025 activity calendar.
JUNE
Holding meetings with the Grande and Correntes River Basin Committees addressing the Water Use Charges and the importance of its establishment in the Committees.
AUGUST
Holding of the Seminar on Water Production in the São Francisco River Basin, in Luiz Eduardo Magalhães.
AUGUST
Holding of a joint meeting with the CBH Rio Grande.
Procedure for resolving water use conflicts downstream of the Xingó Hydroelectric Plant, with a primary focus on the socio-environmental impacts of large flow oscillations affecting the Lower São Francisco region.
Execution of projects and works for sanitation, water supply, and rural sanitation throughout the entire Middle São Francisco region.
By: Andréia Vitório
Pictures: Manuela Cavadas
LAW WOMAN
The General Coordinator of the Integrated Preventive Inspection Program in the São Francisco River Basin, FPI, Prosecutor Luciana Khoury is, today, one of the leading figures in the fight for the Velho Chico. Born in Salvador, Bahia, she carries a dual mission: to defend both the environment and the rights of indigenous and traditional peoples.
In Jardim Baiano, in Salvador, more precisely in a building of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, there is a woman of the law: Prosecutor Luciana Khoury. With pen in hand, she has stood out as one of the leading figures in the fight for the Velho Chico. Strong, fearless, and with a life purpose: to defend the environment. A reader of engaged poets, such as Amadeu Thiago de Mello, an icon of regional literature, she moves guided by a strong sense of justice. Among her peers, she is known for being tireless and resilient. “My style is one of struggle,” she defines herself. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, attending shows, and even singing. She has danced “forever,” as she says. Among her favorite singers, she cites Alceu Valença, but her taste spans from MPB to reggae. In short, a true Bahian.
Before being recognized for her work in protecting the São Francisco, Luciana walked many miles. As a law student, she joined the Association of Rural Workers’ Lawyers (AATR), an entity with a strong focus on public policies for rural populations. There, she understood that defending the rights of traditional peoples and communities was her path. Also at university, she began working with SAJU, the Legal Aid Service for low-income populations and social movements. Her story with the Velho Chico goes further back, crossing generations. As a young girl, her grandfather, originally from Syria, arrived in Brazil fleeing war and ended up settling in Juazeiro, in the north of Bahia, where he started by herding cattle and eventually became a cinema owner. There, in the city crossed by the São Francisco River, known as the land of carrancas, her parents would meet.
I have always believed in the importance of civil society organizations in the implementation of rights. The state is very important, the public power is very important, but we need civil society organizations to be organized,” commented Luciana. “Law is a tool of struggle, working alongside other groups and different segments of society.”
Driven by this desire to improve the world, at the beginning of her career, Luciana began working at the Support and Prevention Group for AIDS (GAPA), first as a volunteer and later as a contracted lawyer. She also joined the Human Rights Commission of the OAB (Brazilian Bar Association) and served as a member of the Municipal Health Council of Salvador. Meanwhile, she was already focused on her ultimate goal: the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Bahia. In 2000, she was finally appointed as a public prosecutor. The following year, in 2001, she began her work on behalf of the São Francisco River. The foundation of her academic training is the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), as she is keen to emphasize. The choice of her course also had its reasons: “I thought that law could contribute to changes, be a tool for social transformation and emancipation.”
“Especially when you seek to ensure that laws are applied justly,” highlights Luciana, who also holds a master’s degree in law, “and when you work to ensure access to justice for all populations, including the poorest, who are often excluded. I believe deeply in our profession, in our activity,” she adds.
Fieldwork
The first prosecutor’s office that Luciana took on was in Lençóis, in the Chapada Diamantina region. Later, she served in the prosecutor’s offices of Xique-Xique, Paramirim, and Paulo Afonso, the latter specializing in the environment. In Paulo Afonso, she has been working for 13 years coordinating the São Francisco River Defense Center, which provides support to the Public Prosecutor’s Offices in the São Francisco River Basin, in partnership with environmental public agencies, environmental organizations, and social movements. Additionally, she is the general coordinator for the states in the Integrated Preventive Inspection Program in the São Francisco River Basin (FPI). The program never stops. And “Doctor Luciana,” as she is called, doesn’t either: “I’m always active, all the time.”
The FPI for São Francisco was created in 2002. Since the program’s inception, the only one in Brazil with ongoing operations, Luciana has been present. When the inspection team heads out into the field, she is with them, accompanied by dozens of people and teams from various organizations. There are 50 partners in Bahia, closely observing the challenges faced by the São Francisco River and its people. Luciana likes to highlight that her work is the result of a collective effort. Today, the FPI program works with general oversight of the territory, environmental education, diagnostics, and implementation of public policies. “We diagnose and take measures,” she explains.
According to Luciana, all the work is carried out in alignment with the CBHSF, one of the program’s major supporters. “We have a motto at FPI: we can always improve.” As an example, she cites fish farming in the region of Paulo Afonso and Glória, in northern Bahia, one of the largest fish farming hubs in Brazil, which had no regulated activity. Now, with the inspection program’s efforts, more than 80% of the fish farming activities there are properly regulated. The achievements are even more important
when thinking about the challenges in the environmental field, which, in addition to being “very interdisciplinary,” has a massive amount of demands, Luciana reflects, “When you understand the problem of pesticides, for example, you can’t stay passive. There’s no such thing as safe pesticide use.”
The fight against pesticides is one of Luciana’s main causes. As she warns, the potential for destruction caused by these chemicals in the São Francisco River Basin is immense, affecting both water quality and community health. Often, the poison even comes through the air with aerial spraying. “We did a project so that every state has a forum to combat the impacts of pesticides,” said the prosecutor. “For example, in our forum, no pesticide defender is allowed in. If it’s a company that produces pesticides, they’re not allowed.” In addition to being the Coordinator of the Bahia Forum for Combating the Impacts of Transgenic Pesticides and Supporting Agroecology, she is part of the national forum’s coordinating committee, advocating for the belief that “there is no neutral science. We have to believe in something, and we believe there is no safe use (of pesticides).”
Another issue that strikes Luciana’s heart is the firm belief that the problem of land access must be addressed. Acknowledging that violence in rural areas continues to rise, she prioritizes defending the territories of indigenous peoples, quilombolas (descendants of enslaved Africans), riverside communities, and traditional groups such as fundo and fecho de pasto. “This is really a cause close to my heart, along with water, and I’m continuously dedicated to it,” she emphasized, highlighting the importance of these peoples, their knowledge, and their practices in preserving the Velho Chico and addressing climate issues. It’s no coincidence that the album Luciana listens to most often is called Belo Sertão, by Targino Gondim, Nilton Freitas, and Roberto Malvezzi (Gogó). Before ending the conversation, she sang a verse.
“Olhando o sertão bonito, e as águas que ele tem... E as terras que ele tem...
Então, eu pergunto a Deus por que tanta terra em tão poucas mãos...
E eu como um filho de Deus não tenho nem terra, nem água, nem pão
Chega de esmola, chegou a hora de ser cidadão”
By: Jamil Chade
Literatura
Pictures: Fliparacatu Promotion
POETRY OF STRUGGLE
For five days in August, the Minas Gerais city of Paracatu became the capital of books. Important names in Brazilian literature, such as Ailton Krenak, Conceição Evaristo, and Itamar Vieira Jr., paraded through the historic center. More than 25,000 people attended the debates of the second edition of Fliparacatu
In Minas Gerais, near the border with Goiás, 230 kilometers from Brasília, lies the city of Paracatu. Despite the low rainfall, the region is rich in buriti palm groves. From them spring the springs that form rivers and streams, a sort of resurrection, where life prevails. Among the rivers that flow there is the great Rio Paracatu, the largest tributary of the Velho Chico. It was in this setting that, in August 2024, resurrection took on new shapes. It was not violent; it was one of love, awareness, and generosity. For a few days, Paracatu became the capital of books, gathering major names in literature and a recordbreaking audience. More than 25,000 people attended.
With the theme “Love, Literature, and Diversity,” the second edition of Fliparacatu, the International Literary Festival of Paracatu, took place from August 28 to September 1. In the historic center, where the literary circus was set up, a celebrated lineup of authors paraded: Ailton Krenak, Bianca Santana, Carlos Starling, Cármen Lúcia, Conceição Evaristo, Edney Silvestre, Eliana Alves Cruz, Geni Nuñez, Itamar Vieira Junior, Juliana Monteiro, Lívia Sant’Anna Vaz, Lucas Guimaraens, Marcia Tiburi, Marco Haurélio, Paulo Lins, Ruth Manus, Sérgio Abranches, Sérgio Rodrigues, Taiane Santi Martins, Tino Freitas, Tom Farias, Trudruá Dorrico, and Zeca Camargo.
It was not just any party. As Conceição Evaristo, poet, novelist, and essayist, one of the most influential voices in contemporary literature, solemnly announced, Fliparacatu represented a meeting of resistance, in defense of a Brazil where everyone belongs. “A time of resurrection,” in the words of the 77-year-old writer. In Paracatu, the woman from Belo Horizonte received the news, delivered by a representative of French President Emmanuel Macron, that she had been chosen to receive the French Legion of Honour. Nothing could be more symbolic, in a city that is today both the largest exporter of gold in the country and a mirror of what the geographer Milton Santos called “incomplete citizenship.”
“In Brazil, it seems like everything is resolved... but when Milton Santos speaks of incomplete citizenship, the experience of descendants of Africans is exactly that, incomplete,” said Evaristo. “This motherland chooses its children; it has a preference for some. The black and indigenous populations are not the chosen ones of this motherland. Afro-Brazilian populations are in the line of fire. Both the real bullet and the political one. The working classes live in a border situation. A situation of exile within their own country.”
During the first edition of the festival, held the previous year, writer and journalist Juliana Monteiro had written: “In Paracatu, we were in a hurry.” According to her, “for five days, thought, denunciation, reflection, and the beauty of the Portuguese language occupied the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Free Blacks, built in 1744 by freed slaves”: “If Jesus had incarnated in Paracatu, He would have heard Lívia Sant’Anna sing, a capella, that justice is a black woman. He would have seen that of the 12 best-selling authors at the festival, eight are black. He would have seen a Brazilian curation do something very simple but so rare: restore to black and female bodies their place of dignity and legitimate equality, without the relief of being a quota, without exceptionalism, without the formula 3women+2blacks they usually apply to promote inclusion and diversity.”
At the same altar of the Church of the Blacks, this year, Evaristo reaffirmed: “In a nation that had a church for whites and a church for blacks, and still repeats these identity spaces where certain identities are still sacrificed, culture has the power and strength to mitigate these ills.” Oxalá!
The honoree of the year was philosopher Ailton Krenak, the first indigenous member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, the ABL. He warned that the world is on the verge of a nervous breakdown because it no longer knows how to communicate with nature, only to extract from it. A sharp message to a city that today depends on mining. Also present were foreign authors, led by the Italo-Somali Igiaba Scego and her novel “Cassandra in Mogadishu.” After returning to her country following five days in the mining town, the writer published a report in one of Italy’s major newspapers, revealing the ecstatic feeling she had experienced in Paracatu:
“But it is after the festival that the incredible happens.”
“Writers who were busy on stage begin to play. Some pick up flutes, some the guitar, others percussion and the berimbau. And they start to sing, from Bossa Nova classics to the latest hits. Meanwhile, people buy books, recite poems, and talk about literature,” she translated the atmosphere: “I also hug everyone around me. A quilombist, anti-racist hug. While hugging the city, I hear from afar the Baiana voice of Luedji Luna, from her song ‘Banho de folhas,’ saying that it is an orixá that guides us. Mine, the warrior goddess Iansã, took me to a country that never stops dreaming.”
For a few days, yes, Paracatu dreamed of a Brazil we can be. That we want to be. That we will be. Resurrection fueled by music, art, and love. When honored, closing Fliparacatu 2024, Krenak shared how, once, composer José Miguel Wisnik asked him how he managed to address such heavy topics, like the end of the world, without losing his smile. The philosopher responded: “If you were invited to a cosmic dance, would you go downcast or would you dance? We need to have poetry in our experience of struggle.”
The city of Paracatu (MG) blends history, culture, and the charm of Minas Gerais traditions in one place.
Conceição Evaristo defined Fliparacatu as a meeting of resistance.
Juciana Cavalcante Fotos: Marcizo Ventura
BRAZILIAN
NORTHEAST WINERY
Transformed into a destination for wine tourism, the São Francisco Valley offers, in addition to its lush landscape, a menu of wines and sparkling wines made from different types of grapes that grow yearround thanks to the miracle of the waters of the Velho Chico.
The backcountry hasn’t turned into the sea, but the Velho Chico transformed water into wine. Skirting Petrolina, Lagoa Grande, Santa Maria da Boa Vista in Pernambuco, and Juazeiro, Casa Nova, and Sobradinho in Bahia, it cuts across the São Francisco Valley, irrigating the vineyards that find ideal conditions in the region to bear fruit: high temperatures and low humidity. For about four decades, the production of wines from the backcountry has been growing, inviting tourists for tasting tours. Can you imagine? Planting grapes and making wine in the heart of Brazil’s semi-arid region? Well, it’s the miracle of Velho Chico, which, thanks to its waters, creates a phenomenon: the São Francisco Valley is the only place in the world to produce wine year-round and have two harvests per year of the most varied grapes.
“There is strong support for research. Some educational institutions, such as the Federal University of the São Francisco Valley, the Federal Institute of Sertão Pernambucano (IFSertãoPE), as well as organizations like the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation Embrapa Semiárido and the São Francisco and Parnaíba Valleys Development Company (Codevasf), have presented ways to adapt grape production in the backcountry,” commented the oenologist Euclides Neto. “When we talk about wine grapes, some varieties, adapted to cold climates, found an atypical development cradle in the region, which uses mechanisms and strategies to adapt the production, ranging from soil studies to the adaptation of these international cultivars. It wasn’t exactly easy, but there were already clues in nature: plenty of sun and water.”
The pioneer of it all is Mamoru Yamamoto, a Japanese man who arrived in the São Francisco Valley in the early 80s, and by 1986, was already exporting 12,000 cases of wine to Europe, increasing to 80,000 cases the following year. Yamamoto was also the one who invented the wine-tasting tours along the Velho Chico, accompanied by wine. The fact that grapes are produced year-round, according to Euclides Neto, is crucial to the success of the wineries. With around 3,000 hours of sun per year, the temperature stability provides staggered production, with perfect turnover. “In the last 40 years, the São Francisco Valley has accumulated expertise in both table grape and wine grape cultivation. Today, with the nine wineries operating in the region, the production focuses on fine wines and table wines,” the oenologist commented.
The trend now is sparkling wines, which have become the flagship of most wineries. Frizzantes are also popular, especially with younger audiences, due to the practicality of bottles and cans, or the freshness. Among the fine wines, those made from the Syrah (or Shiraz) grape stand out, usually red or rosé. “The specificities of the region provide a unique terroir, different from the Vale dos Vinhedos, for example, where the climate is subtropical humid, while here, the climate is tropical semi-arid,” said Euclides Neto. “These temperature changes drastically alter the concentration of sugar, acids, and polyphenols in the grape, allowing ours to gain significantly more of some of these substances due to the climate stress the grape faces,” he added.
The whine route
In 2022, the region achieved its first designation of origin for tropical wines, and about 10 years ago, another route was implemented, this time in the Pernambuco portion of the Velho Chico. In Bahia, the tour takes place on the Sobradinho Lake, the largest in Latin America, with 320 kilometers in length, a water surface area of 4,214 km², and a storage capacity of 34.1 billion cubic meters. The tour starts at the Petrolina waterfront, where buses depart, with guides and winemakers aboard. Then, aboard the Vapor do Vinho (Wine Steamship), tourists travel to the Sobradinho Hydroelectric Plant, passing over the power station. The tours take place every weekend and on holidays.
During the tour, tourists visit wineries, where they can taste the wines and sample the grapes.
“Enotourism began with the arrival of the Miolo group in the district of Casa Nova, called Santana do Sobrado, in Bahia. Enotourism was already standing out in other regions, especially in Bento Gonçalves, in Rio Grande do Sul, where the same group was already operating,” said businessman Luiz Rogério Rocha Pereira, owner of the Vapor do Vinho boats. “So, our partnership began. I had the pleasure of sailing with my father on the Nina boat, and with the decline of navigation, we shifted and began offering tours to the islands. This was a good bet, investing in the river, where we all depend directly or indirectly on it.” According to Pereira, enotourism has grown over the last decade, and the tour that initially started on Saturdays with a maximum of 30 passengers now averages 2,000 passengers per month. The tour begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m., priced at R$ 240 per person.
“We have a natural factor right before our eyes that adds a lot of value to the region, which is the São Francisco River. The Velho Chico attracts this audience here, in addition to the prospect of producing in an area that unquestionably would not support the current productive format if it weren’t for its water. So, I believe all of this creates a certain magnetism for those who come and discover the beauties of the São Francisco River, going far beyond the obvious.”
With live music, the Vapor do Vinho continues to the first of the islands, where it docks for swimming. After an hour of navigation, tourists have another hour to swim in the crystal-clear waters of Velho Chico. On the return trip, lunch is served aboard, and then everyone heads to the Terranova
Winery (Miolo Wine Group), where visitors can learn about the wine-making process and taste famous labels, with winemakers accompanying the tasting. The region produces varieties of Vitis vinifera grapes, suitable for making fine wines. The grapevines come from European countries such as France, Spain, and Portugal. Among the nine wineries, one is dedicated to certified organic cultivation and stands out for producing the most natural wines possible, avoiding the use of pesticides.
With the success of the wineries established, regional restaurants now offer local wines on their menus. Prices vary according to the product, ranging from entry-level to intermediate, high-end, and wines for collectors. Bottles can be found starting at R$ 10. “Wine shops and convenience stores with specialized service from sommeliers and winemakers have increased in the region. Visitors also have access to information about the wineries and tours that can be done every day on private vehicles, as well as weekend tours on the river and on Sobradinho Lake,” concluded Rocha Pereira.
On the Pernambuco side, in Petrolina, the Rota dos Vinhos tour is promoted by the Rio Sol Winery. The idea is to provide tourists with an experience that connects them to the history of winemaking in the sertão, as Rio Sol was established by a group of Portuguese origin, with expertise in wine production in the hotter regions of Portugal.
With a duration of eight hours, the Wine Route departs from the city of Lagoa Grande - PE, about 50 kilometers from Petrolina. “On the Wine Route, all services are already included; we meet each person at their hotel, and the journey to the winery takes approximately 1 hour. Our capacity is up to 120 people,” explained the manager Tobias Melo.
The catamaran ride stops for a swim at Ilha do Pontal, where four different sparkling wine labels are served. Lunch is served at the winery’s own restaurant, with a regional menu featuring lamb with wine and tilapia moqueca. In addition, visitors participate in a guided tour of the vineyards and factory before the catamaran ride and lunch. At this time, it is possible to taste grapes directly from the vines at any time of the year. “Wine tourism plays a very important role in the region because it drives a chain of products and services,” said Melo. “The winery has several award-winning labels, notably the Gran Reserva 8 Premium (better known as Paralelo 8). This wine has won several national and international competitions, bringing great recognition to our brand.”
Finally, the word that defines the experience of tourists and visitors is enchantment, as concluded by enologist Euclides da Cunha. “The word we hear most on each tour is enchantment. We provide visitors with a connection to this region that truly changes the perspective associated with the semi-arid landscape. Tourists are amazed to see that the persistence of the people from the Northeast and the sense of growth have transformed, and continue to transform, the surrounding landscape. Everyone leaves with the message that we must preserve our natural wealth: the São Francisco River and the Caatinga, in order to reap the fruits of this transformation.”
It happened
By: Mariana Martins
10th World Water Forum in Bali, Indonesia
In May, coordinators Altino Rodrigues Neto and Cláudio Ademar shone at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, Indonesia! Representing the São Francisco River Basin Committee (CBHSF), they highlighted the actions of the CBHSF in support of indigenous peoples and traditional communities, as well as emphasizing the unity of the committee in combating desertification.
Campaign Vire Carranca
On June 3, an emotional movement took over the cities of São Francisco (MG), Carinhanha (BA), Lagoa Grande (PE), and Delmiro Gouveia (AL). With the slogan “Velho Chico: revitalize the river, preserve its riches,” the Vire Carranca campaign united hearts and minds in defense of the beloved São Francisco River. A true act of love!
Watch the event videos at: bit.ly/VireCarranca2024
Guardião das Águas Award
In September, the president of CBHSF, Maciel Oliveira, was honored with the prestigious Guardião das Águas award by the government of Alagoas, in recognition of his dedication to protecting water resources. He now joins a select group of 15 personalities with the same noble mission.
Read the full article at: bit.ly/3Zp5ysK Read the full article at: bit.ly/3ZrvHY5
Azael Goes Deisy Nascimento
CBHSF
Read the full article at: bit.ly/3ZqlB9H
FPI Program at the Innovare Award
The Integrated Preventive Inspection Program (FPI São Francisco) is one of the top finalists for the Innovare Award, promoted by the Innovare Institute and supported by major legal entities and the Globo Group. For 22 years, FPI has been making history in the São Francisco basin, and this recognition comes as a welldeserved applause.
Reopening in Petrolina
To close the year on a high note, the Peixe Vivo Agency reopened the regional office of the Submédio São Francisco in Petrolina. Closed during the pandemic, the office is returning with renewed energy to strengthen dialogue with municipalities and advance in the preservation of our Velho Chico.
São Francisco Waters
With impactful workshops and seminars, the CBHSF energized the Upper, Middle, and Lower São Francisco regions with the São Franciscan Waters Program. The event shared transformative experiences from the Water Producer Program, a successful initiative by ANA, to promote sustainable water management solutions.
Ascom / FPI
Watch the video about the Water Producer Program at: bit.ly/3ZqlB9H
First Alternate Position on the National Water Resources Council
Read the full article at: bit.ly/3ZowYPA
The CBHSF gains a new prominent position by assuming the first alternate position on the National Water Resources Council, representing the River Basin Committees of Federal Watersheds. The nomination ceremony took place at the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development in Brasília.
Juciana Cavalcante
Almost every cities in the world were born along a river. But, paradoxically, these same cities that emerged thanks to waterways flourished in a battle against the environment. Over the centuries, rivers have been symbolically treated as dumping grounds. With the climate crisis and the awakening to the finiteness of water resources, this is changing. The new order demands revitalization.
The revitalization of the Velho Chico is already a work in progress. With the funds raised through the Water Use Fee, the CBHSF aims to invest increasingly in the recovery of this vital river, which flows through six states and countless cities. Every day, all Brazilians should wake up and think: without the São Francisco, there is no interior Brazil. The responsibility of keeping it alive belongs to each one of us and to all of us.
