Sesmaria River - Challenges for a greater

participation of stakeholders
Ricardo Castro Nunes de Oliveira*, Rosiany Possati Campos**, Carlos Lima Castro***
*Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, ricardo.castro@coc.ufrj.br
**Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, rosiany.campos@coc.ufrj.br
***Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, carcastro@globo.com

INTRODUCTION
Water resources in the Southeast region of Brazil are being subjected to
increasing damages due to pollution, soil erosion and river canalization that
threaten the resilience of the ecosystem and may collapse the supply of cities
such as Rio de Janeiro. Other aggravating factors are increasing soil
impermeabilization and destruction of the original Atlantic Forest.
In 1997, by Law 9.433/97, was established the National Water Resources Policy.
This law brought important advances towards a model of participatory
management and conservation of water resources, through the possibility of the
establishment of committees of federal and state river basin. Although the law has
represented a huge breakthrough, hopes deposited in a coordinated public and
private entities working for the preservation of water resources in the basins, did
not materialize. Few committees and agencies are effectively deployed and
procedures remain guided by public authorities at different levels without
integration. Very little progress has been made in the preservation of riparian
areas and implementation of landfills and unauthorized work in the
the main stream bed of the Brazilian rivers. As a result of poor performance and
supervision of public authorities at different levels of Brazilian legislation, year by
year, the number of floods grows, causing severe impacts in urban areas. In the
present study, the city of Resende, important industrial and military center, was
grievously affected by the floods of Sesmaria River in the year of 2010.
The Sesmaria River begins at the county of Sao Jos do Barreiro in the state of
So Paulo and has its mouth in the county of Resende in the state of Rio de
Janeiro. By crossing more than one state, the Sesmaria River is considered
federal domain and protected by a complex legal framework originated in laws of
the Brazilian imperial period.
The goal of this work is to propose a bigger participation of the local population,
especially the inhabitants of riparian zones, in the defense of our natural
resources. We expect that through an educational and multiplying process we can
turn a passive society into a defender of the environment and of the constitutional
rights.

THE FLOODS OF 2010 AND

INADEQUATE WORKS
In 2010 the damages caused by the rain provoked an instability in Sesmaria River
banks. Edifications, preventive health and emergency services and bridges were
affected, prompting an adoption for emergency works that were later contested
for their efficiency and the constructive methods that were adopted, picture 3 and
4.

Figure 3 Preventive health affected - Photo Civil Defense - City of Resende

Figure 4 Emergency works - Photo - Civil

Defense - City of Resende

One of the main problems that we identified was the execution of works without
the necessary studies and the lack of integration with others public entities or with
the Committee of the Basin of Paraiba do Sul River. No attention was paid to the
1997 Law n. 9.433 that established the National Police of Hydric Resources. This
can be explained by bureaucratic and uncoordinated actions of public institutions
in Brazil. Figure 5 helps to understand what is fundamentally a participatory
management among layers: federal, state, municipality and watershed. However,
this does not occur. It is necessary to strengthen the participation of the civil
society, represented by the green area. This last layer should embrace all the
others, forcing integration and searching results.

Key words - Watershed Management, Social and Popular Participation,

Conservation of Water Resources, Environmental Education

THE HEALTH OF THE WATERSHED AS

A MAIN CONCEPT
Since colonial times our rivers are featured prominently on our old maps, as can
be visualized in Figure1. With the rapid, growth of population and cities,
expansion of farming, etc., profound changes in geomorphology and land use of
watersheds were introduced. Today the notion of Brazil as the country of endless
waters, as reported in the letter of its discovery, no longer exists. Almost all of our
principal rivers in the southeastern region are polluted, artificialized and decrease
in its groundwater recharge caused by soil sealing and destruction of the
vegetation cover. Brazilian politicians in their great majority still defend predatory
development without concern for the environment. Another factor undermining the
defense of Brazilian rivers is the growing indication to lead public bodies of
unprepared people, who are chosen only by political criteria. Thus, despite the
existence of laws and regulations the basins of southeastern Brazil are
increasingly degrading, and this degradation symbols are the lack of demarcation
of permanent preservation areas APP/FMP and domain areas of the Federal
Government on the river banks which are shown in Figure 2. Demarcation and
protection of these areas is of fundamental importance for the recharge of rivers,
their mobility and protection against floods.

Figure 1 - Map of Brazil - Luiz Teixeira

1574 .

Figure 2 - Demarcation of permanent preservation areas

APP/FMP and domain areas of the Federal Government on
the river banks.

Figure 5 Institutional layers of water management in Brazil.

The current degradation of Sesmaria River calls for the adoption of non-structural
measures based on the integration of efforts. It is necessary to create a project of
environmental education that affects the students, the families of the region
especially those who live in riparian zones. It is necessary to make the river
become as closer as possible to its natural state. It is also necessary to preserve
and defend the basins hydric resources through consistent educational
proposals.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The goal of this work is to propose a bigger participation of local population,
especially the inhabitants of riparian zones in the defense of our natural
resources. It is understood as fundamental the use of tools that provokes
participative action of the society in the preservation of the basin, such as:
Implementation of a riparian vegetation recuperation project, with distinct
methodology for urban and rural areas;
Community actions for the recuperation of Permanent Preservation Areas (APP);
Insertion of amateur fishers, bird watchers and touristic guides in educational
projects;
Stimulation of the awareness of the concept of river basin in schools, through
workshops with researchers and environmentalists;
Reinforce the bonds between the Council and rural landowners, in order to
facilitate the demarcation and preservation of APP lands;
Strengthen the recreational use of Sesmaria River, supporting ecotourism in
fountainheads and waterfalls;
Promote the effective implementation of sanitation plans from cities that
contribute to the river basin.

References:[1] BARLOW.M.(2013). Jornal O GLOBO, entrevista Revista Amanh.[2] BRIERLEY,G.J.; FRYIRS, K.A.(2005). Geomorphology and River Management Applications of the River Styles Framework. [3]

OLIVEIRA.R.C.N.; POSSATI.R.C.;CASTRO.C.L.(2013). Preservation of rivers through environmental education. Seventh World Environmental Education Congress, Marrakesh. [4] OLIVEIRA,R.C.N.(2011) Caracterizao das reas
de Domnio da Unio e das Faixas Marginais de Proteo apoiado por Modelao MatemticaEstudo de Caso: Mdio Rio Paraba do Sul. Dissertao de Mestrado-POLI/UFRJ.RJ. [5] OLIVEIRA,R.C.N.(2014) Judicial investigation of
Sesmaria River process 0000141-06.2012.4.02.5109 . [6] WORSTER.D.(2013). From an Age of Abundance to Age of Vulnerability. Simpsio Dilogo Brasil-EUA em Histria Ambiental, PPGHIS,UFRJ.
Acknowledgement:

inspiring change

Brazilian National Research Counsel (CNPq)

www.iwahq.org