Nem tudo é esquecido...

 

 

 

Access to clean, potable water as a human right sounds like it should be straight forward...am I right? This is not the case and we see this proof through costs, legalities, jurisdictions, social class, tribal lands, rural country sides, and large metropolitan areas. Each individual should have the right to clean water - should be no question.

While doing this project, I learned about the different sources that provide water to people, access to water, history of Brazil and how it all ties together with the current state that it is in. Whether it be unequally divided in urban centers with questionable sanitary systems, or access to water in rural and indigenous areas, it is still a topic of human rights and environmental justice. For many years, Brazil has been working on improving the system. The question lies with how much importance is placed on it and plans for the future.

In conclusion to my personal experience, the title of this entry means "all is not forgotten" in Portuguese. Before arriving to Brazil, I didn’t know what to expect other than travel anxiety, and what you see on the internet - beautiful beaches in Rio, dangerous favelas, and large Amazonian creatures. By the time I left, I gained SO much perspective on who Brazilians are as individuals and their culture, and an appreciation of Brazil’s history, vibrance, and beauty.

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One of the largest aquifers in the world...

The Guarani Aquifer is one of the largest in the world. The groundwater supplies about 70 million people in the area (outside of Brazil as well). As a human right, citizens and tribes should be entitled to this, never denied access. The link below is a pdf in case you want to read more information about it.

http://www.oas.org/dsd/Events/english/Documents/OSDE_7Guarani.pdf



Sources
Map. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guarani_Aquifer

Interview with an Environmental and Sanitation Engineering Student at Dom Bosco

Students in the stadium at Dom Bosco

My host sister was able to provide a connection to an Environmental and Sanitary Engineering student from a university in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. This aspiring student wants to help improve the environment and quality of life for others. I was able to have brief interview with her after returning home from Brazil. I asked her some questions and she provided written responses. They are as follows:

Please state your name, what you're studying, and where. 

Nayara Estrabis- I study Environmental and Sanitary Engineering at Universidade Católica Dom Bosco - in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. 

As a student who studies environment and sanitation, why is it important to you? What are your plans after you graduate?

It's opened my eyes about my home, the world, and my life. Since I was a child I was very attracted to the environmental questions and wanted to do something even when I was small. So studying this, I feel like doing something to improve the environment and our lives. I'm in my third year in this course, and don't know right now what I'm really going to do, but I'm thinking about water and degraded areas. 

Where do the water sources come from? Does go into a reservoir or dam?
Our water sources come from a river - Guariroba River. It goes in a reservoir. Actually we have a Water Treatment Plant, that is who provides the water for us. The name of company is Aguas Guariroba and we pay for the water.                                                                                                          She provided a site for more information here http://www.aguasguariroba.com.br/agua/abastecimento

What would you like to see improve?
I think that the sanitary questions are related to the health of the people. Improving the conditions so all people have potable water to use would improve their health, and improve the environment. You have to have a good system for people to use.

Do you know about any laws for indigenous people having access to water?
I don't know, but I think it's the same for us here in my city... they have an urban aldeia (village) they live almost near downtown   

How important do you think the sanitation system is and access to water for indigenous people are?
It's very interesting. It's very important, or better, necessary.


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Guarani Tribe

Tribal woman drinking from the river.

Ambrosio- Tribe leader

Our class went on a 4 day trip on a packed, but comfortable bus to the Pantanal region, Bonito, and Caraapo. The region was breathtaking. We were lucky enough to visit indigenous areas that not even local residents know about or ever travel to. The Guarani-Kaiowa tribe's quality of life spun me into a culture shock. The people of this tribe filled me with hope, as they continue making their presence known, and fight for equal rights. The tribe still has about 30,000 members and are mainly located in Mato Grosso do Sul. They have a deep knowledge about the ecological interactions between nature and humans. They weave, do ceramics, and are skilled horsemen. Many have lost the language but they have resurrected it in schools. 

We set out on what seemed like a long journey, to meet with Ambrosio and other members of the tribe. We arrived at a small village with homes made of grass roofs, no running water, no electricity, and no plumbing. A classmate and I followed 2 of the women down to a river and I was able to have her translate for me when I asked them where they get their water. To my surprise, one of the women answered that the river is where they bathe and get their drinking water from. I was shocked! The reason they don't have these utilities is because these Natives are in the process of rightfully claiming their land after anthropologists came and surveyed the land and verified that it belonged to them. While they are in the process of waiting, the city has denied them running water.

After learning this, I was very frustrated because Mato Grosso do Sul is home to the Guarani Aquifer that stores the larges fresh water underground reservoirs in South America, 2nd largest water reservoir in the world! You would think that the municipalities would be able to provide water to the citizens of their state. What it comes down to is money and legalities. 

More pictures of the village...

Children of the Guarani Tribe

This is an interesting and recent article about what the Guarani tribe members are going through. This doesn't just apply to this tribe, but tribes all over Brazil. It's a serious problem! This doesn't have much to do with water, but it does give insight on what they do to fight for their human rights.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/world/102726-homeland-or-mass-suicide-brazils-guarani-kaiowa-tribe-says

Indigenous People's Rights to Water

We visited an organic farm that students of the Guarani tribe are able to help with. This is great because this agriculture uses less pesticides which promotes cleaner water run off! Within the law, the health department is responsible for providing this indigenous Aldeia (village or tribe) with water. They have pumps outside of homes that they pump water from.

They recently started harvesting a nut called Urukum with little red berries inside, which they are in the process of selling them to be used for makeup. They tasted pretty yummy too!

This was a mandioca plant, a very popular food in Brazil, with almost a potato like texture. They are so delicia! The flour is used to make pao de queijo (cheese bread, also very famous).

 

 The pictures below are also from a different farm that was a good distance outside of Campo Grande consisting of a Quilombola. This is, a community constituted by descendents of enslaved africans who maintain cultural conditions, religions, and substinence for centuries. Mato Grosso do Sul has 2 Quilombos and 10 or 11 are in the process of being revived. They use very old practices still, for example a wood mill and a horse to turn it. 

Campo Grande

We arrived in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul after studying in Sao Paulo for 3 weeks. We were all welcomed to stay with wonderful host families who were waiting to greet us at the little airport in Campo Grande. It was a new and different atmosphere compared to Sao Paulo, but both places had their own unique characteristics. Campo Grande is the largest city and the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul. It is the "country" with a slower pace and suburban feel, with cowboys that carried around Terrere - a common drink to this area, made with loose tea and cold water. Accompanied with Samba and Sertaneja (Brazilian country music), delicious fresh food and coconut trees in their backyards. We went on a city tour within the first couple days we were there and toured the 2 universities we were a part of, Universidade Federal (which was on strike) and Universidade Catolica de Dom Bosco. 

These pictures above and below are of me with my lovely host family!

The Atlantic Rainforest

 Our class took a trip to the Atlantic Rainforest or "Mata Atlantica" after learning about it from Professora Waverli. It was just a quick bus ride outside of the Sao Paulo metropolis and I was surprised how close we were. The city is actually surrounded by forests and parks, and it was explained to us that many residents are not even aware of the 200 million year old "Mata Atlantica", unfortunately. Being there was inspiring and beautiful. I can definitely see why Waverli is so passionate about preserving and protecting this forest from destruction and deforestation because only about 7% of its main vegetation is left. 
                                                         

 

 

 We were informed that this rain forest represents 15% of Brazilian territory and it is very special because it is something that only exists in Brazil. Many people are very concerned with the Amazonian rain forest because it covers half of Brazil, but other countries in South America also share it as well.*

  

Here are some facts about the Atlantic:

1. It has higher rates of species within an area than the Amazon because it is older than the Amazon.

2. It contains 20,000 species of trees, and even some species related to the Congo in Africa because        when the tectonic plates split the forests split. 

3. Precious stones can be found in the soil as well due to the drainage into the interior of 

    the Brazilian Plateau. 

4. Atlantic Rainforest is 200 million years old and the Amazon is 50 million years old. 

5. In the forest, the largest biomass of species are bugs.

6. Over the last 60 years we've caused the most damage of all time

7. Trees are important because 1/2 of all medications come from them! 

 

The link below is a fairly simple explanation of why rainforests are important to the water cycle, but basically rainforests add moisture to the atmosphere through transpiration and is a huge factor in decreasing drought! The growth, industrialization, and urban sprawl in the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo are a huge risk factor when it comes to protecting this rainforest.

 http://kids.mongabay.com/elementary/404.html

 

Professor Waverli left me with this, "If we don't know how to conserve our backyard, how can we honor any other place." This quote spoke volumes to me because the importance we put on building and new infrastructure, creating massive urbanization, minimizes awareness of how it will effect our natural resources.

Sources

* http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/amazon.htm