Transfer of the São Francisco River
Encyclopedia
The Transfer of the São Francisco River is a large-scale interbasin transfer
to the dry sertão
in the four northeastern states of Ceara
, Rio Grande do Norte
, Paraiba
and Pernambuco
in Brazil. The project, which was given the green light to go ahead by Brazil's government in 2005, is estimated to cost US$2 billion and is expected to improve the lives of 12m people. After legal challenges were brought against the project, the Supreme Court allowed it to go ahead in December 2007.
The project would divert 1.4% of the river's water for municipal water supply, industry and irrigation. Municipal water supply would receive priority over other uses, which would only be catered for only when the reservoir behind the Sobradinho
dam on the Sao Francisco River, which produces much of the region's electricity, is nearly full about 40% of the time. The project actually consists of two transfers:The East axis would transfer water to the Paraíba do Norte River
, while the North axis would transfer water to the Jaguaribe
and Piranhas
rivers. The project includes 700 km of canals and tunnels, as well as several dams. It is expected to displace almost a million people and construction is expected to take 20 years to complete.
Critics of the project argue that beneficiary states should improve management of their own water before importing it from outside the region. Bishop Luiz Flávio Cappio from Bahia
also wonders why water is being exported when 3m poor live along the Sao Francisco river's course, many of them without running water and proper sanitation. He argues that the transfer “will demand huge resources that could be spent on other projects much closer to the reality of the people”. It is also being said that the project will mainly benefit richer farmers who already have irrigation infrastructure in place and not rainfed farmers that are hardest hit by drought. The alleged insufficiency of water in the Sao Francisco River itself during the dry season, and its consequent impact on aquatic ecosystems, is another argument of critics. For example, João Alves Filho, governor of the state of Sergipe
, says that there are already “signs of mortality” where the river joins the sea. Marco Antônio Tavares Coelho, a prominent opponent, says that "aridity is the natural state of the sertão" and that soaking it would be like "removing ice from the North Pole". In 2001 the World Bank reportedly refused to finance the project because of its limited impact in combating poverty and drought.
Interbasin transfer
Interbasin transfer or transbasin diversion are terms used to describe man-made conveyance schemes which move water from one river basin where it is available, to another basin where water is less available or could be utilized better for human development...
to the dry sertão
Sertão
In Portuguese, the word sertão first referred to the vast hinterlands of Asia that Lusitanian explorers encountered. In Brazil, the geographical term referred to backlands away from the Atlantic coastal regions where the Portuguese first settled in South America in the early sixteenth century...
in the four northeastern states of Ceara
Ceará
Ceará is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is currently the 8th largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of...
, Rio Grande do Norte
Rio Grande do Norte
Rio Grande do Norte is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern region of the country, occupying the northeasternmost tip of the South American continent. Because of its geographic position, Rio Grande do Norte has a strategic importance. The capital and largest city is Natal...
, Paraiba
Paraíba
Paraíba Paraíba Paraíba (Tupi: pa'ra a'íba: "bad to navigation"; Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: is a state of Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Northeast, and is bordered by Rio Grande do Norte to the north, Ceará to the west, Pernambuco to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east...
and Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
in Brazil. The project, which was given the green light to go ahead by Brazil's government in 2005, is estimated to cost US$2 billion and is expected to improve the lives of 12m people. After legal challenges were brought against the project, the Supreme Court allowed it to go ahead in December 2007.
The project would divert 1.4% of the river's water for municipal water supply, industry and irrigation. Municipal water supply would receive priority over other uses, which would only be catered for only when the reservoir behind the Sobradinho
Sobradinho
The Sobradinho Reservoir is a large reservoir located in Sobradinho, north of the Brazilian state of Bahia. The reservoir measures approximately long, in surface area, and a storage capacity of at its nominal elevation of , making it the 12th-largest reservoir in the world...
dam on the Sao Francisco River, which produces much of the region's electricity, is nearly full about 40% of the time. The project actually consists of two transfers:The East axis would transfer water to the Paraíba do Norte River
Paraíba do Norte River
The Paraíba do Norte River, also known simply as the Paraíba River, is a river in Paraíba state of northeastern Brazil. The river originates in the Borborema Plateau, and it flows northeast to empty into the Atlantic Ocean north of João Pessoa, the state capital....
, while the North axis would transfer water to the Jaguaribe
Jaguaribe River
The Jaguaribe River is a highly seasonal river in Ceará state of northeastern Brazil. Two large dams were constructed across the Jaguaribe, the Orós Dam, completed in 1960, and the Castanhão Dam, completed in 2003. The Castanhão Dam flooded the city of Jaguaribara, which was rebuilt nearby as the...
and Piranhas
Piranhas River
The Piranhas River, also known as the Açu River, is a river of northeastern Brazil. It originates in southeastern Paraíba state, near the border with Ceará, and flows north-northeast through Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte states to empty into the Atlantic Ocean near Macau...
rivers. The project includes 700 km of canals and tunnels, as well as several dams. It is expected to displace almost a million people and construction is expected to take 20 years to complete.
Critics of the project argue that beneficiary states should improve management of their own water before importing it from outside the region. Bishop Luiz Flávio Cappio from Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
also wonders why water is being exported when 3m poor live along the Sao Francisco river's course, many of them without running water and proper sanitation. He argues that the transfer “will demand huge resources that could be spent on other projects much closer to the reality of the people”. It is also being said that the project will mainly benefit richer farmers who already have irrigation infrastructure in place and not rainfed farmers that are hardest hit by drought. The alleged insufficiency of water in the Sao Francisco River itself during the dry season, and its consequent impact on aquatic ecosystems, is another argument of critics. For example, João Alves Filho, governor of the state of Sergipe
Sergipe
Sergipe , is the smallest state of the Brazilian Federation, located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of the country. It borders on two other states, Bahia to the south and west and Alagoas to the north, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean...
, says that there are already “signs of mortality” where the river joins the sea. Marco Antônio Tavares Coelho, a prominent opponent, says that "aridity is the natural state of the sertão" and that soaking it would be like "removing ice from the North Pole". In 2001 the World Bank reportedly refused to finance the project because of its limited impact in combating poverty and drought.