Gov’t creates program to improve quality of water in rivers

Brazil’s Environment Ministry has launched the Cleaner River program (“Rios + Limpos” in the original Portuguese), the last axis on the Urban Environmental Agenda. Availing itself of figures on water quality and effluent on a digital platform, program aims to contribute to better effluent management and basic sanitation in the country.

The initiative, the ministry said, should offer more transparency to user and encourage operational improvements, in addition to enhancing monitoring efforts by environmental agencies and watchdogs, with tools for performance checking.

Unveiled Thursday (Sep. 16), the program will enable the conduction of measures to decontaminate rivers, stimulate  the cleaning and trash collection in rivers, lakes, lagoons, and river beaches, in addition to the implementation of decentralized effluent treatment centers in underserved areas, as well as the promotion of projects aimed at the reuse of effluent in the country.

Also according to the ministry, the platform for processing data on sanitation—one of the measures in the Legal Landmark for Basic Sanitation—will bring about more robust and swifter monitoring efforts. The new Sanitation Landmark includes the attraction of investments adding up to $133 billion and the generation of more than 700 job posts.

The agenda

The Urban Environmental Agenda is divided into six axes, ranging from green city areas to the quality of the water in rivers, lakes, and the ocean, seeking solutions for the environment in urban centers across the country, where 85 percent of Brazilians live.