{"id":72359,"date":"2022-11-20T10:36:48","date_gmt":"2022-11-20T13:36:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=72359"},"modified":"2023-08-23T12:12:31","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T15:12:31","slug":"the-degradation-of-rio-de-janeiros-urban-wetlands-part-2-pollution-produced-through-a-historical-absence-of-sanitation-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=72359","title":{"rendered":"The Degradation of Rio de Janeiro’s Urban Wetlands, Part 2: Pollution Produced Through a Historical Absence of Sanitation Services"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
According to the prosecutor, there are about 400 points of irregular sewage dumping in the region. Photo: Felipe Migliani<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas\"\"<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This is the second in a series<\/a> of four articles about the \u201cDegradation of the Pantanal Carioca<\/a>,\u201d as Rio de Janeiro\u2019s West Zone wetlands were once known.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On June 21<\/a>, helicopter images captured the water hyacinth<\/a> proliferation in the Chico Mendes Park<\/a> in Recreio dos Bandeirantes<\/a>, in Rio de Janeiro\u2019s West Zone. The vegetation had taken up almost 50% of the water surface of the small lagoon Lagoinha das Taxas<\/a>. This process has increasingly compromised drainage and encouraged flooding in the region, as well as contributing to mosquito outbreaks. The massive water hyacinth blooms are a consequence of eutrophication<\/a>\u2014a pollution process where rivers and lakes acquire a cloudy color and extremely low oxygen levels. This causes the death of numerous animal and plant species and greatly impacts water ecosystems. The presence of cyanobacteria toxins in the region\u2019s lakes has been noted<\/a> by researchers since the 1980s.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cyanobacteria toxins are harmful to animals<\/a> and can cause intoxication in humans<\/a>. Since the system of lagoons around this area of Rio de Janeiro, called Jacarepagu\u00e1<\/a>, is linked to the sea, the presence of toxic cyanobacteria can result in public health problems along the coastal region\u2019s recreational beaches, such as Quebra-Mar<\/a>. As a result, in early 2007, fishing and the sale of fish from the Jacarepagu\u00e1 lagoons was banned<\/a>. At the time, analyses of fish revealed contamination, while the fishermen\u2014generally from communities bordering the lagoon system\u2014received a minimum wage to help sustain their families.<\/span><\/p>\n

For S\u00e9rgio Ricardo\u2014ecologist, environmental manager and member of the Living Bay Movement<\/a>\u2014the lack of public housing policy is linked to the lack of basic sanitation<\/a>. And the biggest consequence of this state neglect<\/a> and the heavy influence of real estate development<\/a> in the region is pollution of its bodies of water.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no sanitation! All of the region\u2019s rivers and bodies of water, just like those in the Baixada Fluminense<\/a>, Rio proper and the East Metropolitan Region<\/a>, have turned into ditches; a civilizational tragedy. Which is a shame, because we are losing out on tourism, on leisure. The lack of sanitation increases the cost of public health services through the spread of waterborne diseases. From an outsider’s point of view, the stupidity of this lagoon contamination is ugly. For those on the inside, it’s even worse. Hundreds of sofas, tires, cars and untreated sewage from the past. A large sanitation works project began construction in the 1990s, a station was built in Barra and such, but the whole issue is that investment in sanitation isn’t kept up. Since the 1970s, when the country’s metropolitan regions grew, we did not create a housing policy, and without housing policy there will be no sanitation. One is closely linked to the other.\u201d \u2014 S\u00e9rgio Ricardo, Living Bay Movement<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In September 2021<\/a>, the third <\/span>barqueata<\/span><\/i> calling for environmental sanitation of the Jacarepagu\u00e1 lagoons was held\u2014a nautical protest demanding a clean-up of the lagoons in the complex. Participants included fishermen from the Anil Channel<\/a> and the favela of Rio das Pedras<\/a>, as well as the Living Bay Movement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Outraged by the six tons of dead fish found on the region\u2019s beaches, the fishermen held another protest in March 2022<\/a>, six months later<\/span>. This time, they occupied Abelardo Bueno Avenue in the elite West Zone neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Francisco Alberto dos Santos\u2014member of the Anil Channel Fishermen Association<\/a>\u2014is one of the region\u2019s most experienced fishermen. He compares how many kilograms he used to fish daily from the lagoon system in the 1970s and 1980s, with how many he fishes now.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe ended up \u2018making a tide\u2019 to fish a yield of 600kg per boat per day, every little<\/span> kayak. I, myself, with two boats, frequently brought in 1,200kg. Today you go to one of these lagoons and can\u2019t fish anything, because of the pollution\u2026 from 1976 to 1989, roughly, it was still providing good stocks. In other words, over time these things have become much more difficult\u2026 if (the fisherman) goes fishing today, he brings in 50kg, 30kg. This means he can barely survive. Understand?\u201d\u2014 Francisco Alberto dos Santos, Anil Channel Fishermen Association<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In May 2022, a public hearing<\/a> was held in Barra da Tijuca\u2019s People’s Chamber<\/a> to discuss the remediation of the Jacarepagu\u00e1 lagoon system. State Deputies that take part in the Environmental Defense Commission<\/a> and Environmental Sanitation Commission<\/a> within the Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly (ALERJ<\/a>), representatives from the State Environmental Institute (INEA<\/a>), municipal water entity Rio \u00c1guas<\/a> and the Public Prosecutors’ Office<\/a> held debates regarding the millions of liters of untreated sewage disposed from the Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Vargem Grande<\/a> and Vargem Pequena<\/a> neighborhoods into the region\u2019s lagoons.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview<\/a> for the program <\/span>Balan\u00e7o Geral<\/span><\/i>, on <\/span>TV Record<\/span><\/i>, Prosecutor Jos\u00e9 Alexandre Maximino said there are at least 400 illicit sewage disposal points in the drainage network.<\/span><\/p>\n