08/02/2006 - Brasília,
Brazil - In a historic move, Brazil’s National
Water Council has approved a National Water
Resources Plan, as the first country in
Latin America, and one of the first in the
world to do so. The plan outlines programmes
over the next ten years in order to secure
water for millions of Brazilians while safeguarding
some of the world’s richest aquatic life.
Environment Minister, Marina Silva, highlighted
the importance of varied consultation leading
to the Plan’s creation, and spoke of it
as an example of solidarity and democracy
that Brazil will show when it participates
in the 4th World Water Forum. An innovative
aspect of the Plan is that it promises to
make freshwater values an important part
of any future infrastructure projects and
water policy.
By looking at the relationships between
water, forests and soil usage, the Plan
aims to ensure a sustainable future for
the species, wildlife, urban centres and
local communities of Brazil. It wlll be
presented on March 20th to 31st, during
the Biodiversity Convention in Curitiba
and during the 4th World Water Forum, on
March 16th to 22nd, in Mexico.
“This is a milestone in Brazil’s water management
and a highpoint in a complex process that
had to bring together diverse sectors in
a vast country. Key to this success and
to the future of the Plan is the conservation
of freshwater ecosystems as a cornerstone
of sound development that not only keeps
our rich natural resources but also creates
job opportunities and lessens poverty,”
said Samuel Barrêto, WWF-Brazil's
Water for Life Programme Coordinator.
By approving the Plan, Brazil also fulfilled
a U.N goal for member countries to establish
integrated national water management plans
and moves closer to achieving one the U.N’s
Millennium Development Goals to halve the
number of people with no access to drinking
water and environmental sanitation.
“This wide water management alliance has
been built since 1999. It is important because
it shows priorities, programmes and actions
to make the water management in our country
more tangible”, said ANA Director Oscar
Cordeiro Netto.
National Water Secretary, João Bosco
Senra, stated that one of the most relevant
points of this plan was to join other important
actors besides those involved with the Brazilian
Water System and widen participation. According
to Bosco Senra, the plan unites all the
traditional aspects associated with water
such as social, cultural,economic and environmental
values.
“The Plan brings together major groups such
as WWF-Brazil so that each player can make
its contribution and make a difference in
implementation, said Ninon Machado, from
the NGO Ipanema Institute.
Notes to Editors:
• The National Water Resources Plan (PNRH)
was approved on Monday, January 30th. PNRH
was created under the coordination of Environment
Ministry's Water Secretariat (SRH/MMA) and
the Water National Council (CNRH), with
the support of National Water Agency (ANA).
• In Brazil, 40 million people have limited
or no access to drinking water and sanitation
services. And about 70 per cent of patients
in children hospitals have water-borne diseases
such as dysentery, hepatitis, and leptospyrose.
