Say no to the dams on the Ribeira de Iguape River

One of the largest threats to this site of tremendous historical, cultural, and environmental heritage are the proposals for a variety of dams that would be built on the Ribeira de Iguape River. So far preliminary studies for four dams on the river have been approved by the federal government since the first half of the 1980s with the aim of generating energy and, supposedly, containing floods. The names of the proposed dams are Tijuco Alto, Funil, Itaoca, and Batatal, which would, if constructed, flood approximately 11 thousand hectares including caves, parts of Protected Areas, cities, lands belonging to quilombo communities, and small farms, in addition to significantly changing the hydrology of the river the effects of which are difficult to measure. Learn More.

The planned sites of the dams are in the Middle and High areas of Ribeira, regions with the largest presence of subsistence agriculture and quilombo communities. There exists, therefore, a clear threat to those groups which are historically marginalized. The dams would also unfairly discriminate against and deprive basic means of subsistence for communities that depend on fishing and aquaculture in the Cananéia-Iguape-Paranaguá Estuarine Complex, as various studies already presented point to the likely alterations in fishing productivity as a result of the construction of dams in the region.

Of all the dams proposed Tijuco Alto is currently in the most advanced process of being approved. Its proposed construction site is in the Highland area of Ribeira de Iguape River, between the cities of Ribeira and Adrianópolis, and it would supposedly generate 150 MW (megawatts) of electricity which would be used exclusively by Grupo Votorantim (a diversified corporation) and its subsidiary, the Brazilian Aluminum Company (CBA). Grupo Votorantim has a metallurgy complex hundreds of kilometers from the region in the Aluminum District of São Paulo, which would be the recipient of the electricity generated by the dam. The Brazilian Aluminum Company, being a large consumer of electricity (which makes up anywhere from 20% and 50% of the cost of producing aluminum - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Production_and_refinement), has been constructing hydroelectric dams in many areas of the country in order to increase production. Most of their products are exported, making its claims of the benefits of their activities for Brazil highly doubtful in light of the concentration of profits in the hands of a few, compared to the wide distribution of environmental and social degradation involved. This is what is known as “privatized profits and socialized risks”. Learn More.

Despite still not being approved by the authorized governing bodies, the Tijuco Alto project has already had significant negative effects in the region for some time. Hundreds of small farmers that lived in the area where the dam is proposed to be built sold their land to the Brazilian Aluminum Company in the belief that their land would be flooded. Many families that lived on these lands, although they had no formal claim to their land, were expelled from their homes with no indemnity, increasing the exodus of rural migrants to cities and towns and creating a great amount of opposition to the company in the communities of the region.

As a result of all of these impacts the region has formed a local chapter of the Movement of Peoples Affect by Dams (MOAB), composed principally of the quilombo communities that either already have been, or would be affected by the construction of the dams. Their struggle has been joined by a variety of other social organizations that are active in the region and that are opposed to this socially exclusive and environmentally destructive development model. These organizations, including the local Catholic Church, rural workers unions, and non-governmental organizations, have allied themselves with the MOAB in order to better organize against the construction of the dams.

If you believe that the Vale do Ribeira deserves a chance at a different model for regional development, and would like to receive news about the campaign (only in Portuguese at the moment), please write to ribeirasembarragens@socioambiental.org and leave your full name and email address. If you would like to spread the word about the campaign, copy the banners below and place them on your site.

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Log in Say no to the dams on the Ribeira de Iguape River One of the largest threats to this site of tremendous historical, cultural, and environmental heritage are the proposals for a variety of dams that would be built on the Ribeira de Iguape River. So far preliminary studies for four dams on the river have been approved by the federal government since the first half of the 1980s with the aim of generating energy and, supposedly, containing floods. The names of the proposed dams are Tijuco Alto, Funil, Itaoca, and Batatal, which would, if constructed, flood approximately 11 thousand hectares including caves, parts of Protected Areas, cities, lands belonging to quilombo communities, and small farms, in addition to significantly changing the hydrology of the river the effects of which are difficult to measure. Learn More. The planned sites of the dams are in the Middle and High areas of Ribeira, regions with the largest presence of subsistence agriculture and quilombo communities. There exists, therefore, a clear threat to those groups which are historically marginalized. The dams would also unfairly discriminate against and deprive basic means of subsistence for communities that depend on fishing and aquaculture in the Cananéia-Iguape-Paranaguá Estuarine Complex, as various studies already presented point to the likely alterations in fishing productivity as a result of the construction of dams in the region. Of all the dams proposed Tijuco Alto is currently in the most advanced process of being approved. Its proposed construction site is in the Highland area of Ribeira de Iguape River, between the cities of Ribeira and Adrianópolis, and it would supposedly generate 150 MW (megawatts) of electricity which would be used exclusively by Grupo Votorantim (a diversified corporation) and its subsidiary, the Brazilian Aluminum Company (CBA). Grupo Votorantim has a metallurgy complex hundreds of kilometers from the region in the Aluminum District of São Paulo, which would be the recipient of the electricity generated by the dam. The Brazilian Aluminum Company, being a large consumer of electricity (which makes up anywhere from 20% and 50% of the cost of producing aluminum - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Production_and_refinement), has been constructing hydroelectric dams in many areas of the country in order to increase production. Most of their products are exported, making its claims of the benefits of their activities for Brazil highly doubtful in light of the concentration of profits in the hands of a few, compared to the wide distribution of environmental and social degradation involved. This is what is known as “privatized profits and socialized risks”. Learn More. Despite still not being approved by the authorized governing bodies, the Tijuco Alto project has already had significant negative effects in the region for some time. Hundreds of small farmers that lived in the area where the dam is proposed to be built sold their land to the Brazilian Aluminum Company in the belief that their land would be flooded. Many families that lived on these lands, although they had no formal claim to their land, were expelled from their homes with no indemnity, increasing the exodus of rural migrants to cities and towns and creating a great amount of opposition to the company in the communities of the region. As a result of all of these impacts the region has formed a local chapter of the Movement of Peoples Affect by Dams (MOAB), composed principally of the quilombo communities that either already have been, or would be affected by the construction of the dams. Their struggle has been joined by a variety of other social organizations that are active in the region and that are opposed to this socially exclusive and environmentally destructive development model. These organizations, including the local Catholic Church, rural workers unions, and non-governmental organizations, have allied themselves with the MOAB in order to better organize against the construction of the dams. If you believe that the Vale do Ribeira deserves a chance at a different model for regional development, and would like to receive news about the campaign (only in Portuguese at the moment), please write to ribeirasembarragens@socioambiental.org and leave your full name and email address. If you would like to spread the word about the campaign, copy the banners below and place them on your site. Banner 374x152 Size Banner 157x157 Size Banner 187x30 Size Say no to the Dams Vale do Ribeira History and Economy Sustainable Management in Vale do Ribeira The Tijuco Alto dam Energy for private profits Virtual Tour Videos Virtual Tour ^ topComment Print