State Government in Brazil launches water security program with investment of R$582 million

Governor Renato Casagrande has announced that the state government has launched the State Water Security Program – Water and Landscape II, which will invest R$ 582 million to minimize risks of flooding and drought. The program will also strengthen the state’s capacity to manage water resources and extreme hydrological events in the context of climatic changes.

The program is the result of a partnership between the State of Espírito Santo and the World Bank. As an investment, the State Government will carry out a series of interventions, such as works to minimize the effects of floods in Ibiraçu and João Neiva, purchase of rescue vehicles for the Fire Corps, and the acquisition of pressure measuring equipment and hydrogeological mapping of aquifers.

“The Espírito Santo is prepared for the climatic changes, and we are being a reference for other States. The continuity of the Water and Landscapes Program will be fundamental so that we can prepare ourselves better for major storms or floods, managing water resources better,” commented Governor Casagrande.

For the Secretary of State for Environment and Water Resources, Felipe Rigoni, the launch of Water and Landscape II represents a significant step in the management of water resources in Espírito Santo. “With an investment of R$ 582 million, the program is not only intended to minimize the risks of flooding, but also strengthens the capacity of the State in dealing with extreme hydrological events, especially in a scenario of climatic changes,” he added.

Water and Landscape II is also planned for the development of a flood risk management plan, installation of a monitoring network with implementation of telemetric hydrological stations, structure of a water quality analysis laboratory, construction of the Specialized Disaster Response Center (CERD), and the expansion of the Reflorestar Program, among other interventions.

“We finalized a first partnership with the World Bank, in Water and Landscape I, which allowed us to make strategic investments in sanitation and supply directly involving 14 municipalities, in addition to mitigation actions, such as forest coverage, and the implementation of the Defense Intelligence Center Civil. Giving continuity to these actions, this new partnership has as its main objectives the best water security and climate resilience, fundamental needs for Espírito Santo to advance even more with effective measures to address the extreme effects of climate change,” the said secretary of State of Economy and Planning, Álvaro Duboc.

The Director of the World Bank for Brazil, Johannes Zutt, praised the partnership between Espírito Santo and the Bank. “The Waters and Landscape II is a new chapter in the partnership between the World Bank and the State of Espírito Santo. I am very happy to be here taking part in the launch of the program. The objective of the World Bank is to help Espírito Santo face the challenges that arise with climate change.”

In addition to the Secretariat of the Environment and Water Resources (Seama), which is the manager of the Program, three other state organizations will participate directly as implementing units: the State Agency for Water Resources (Agerh), the State Coordination of Protection and Civil Defense (Cepdec ), and the Department of Buildings and Roads of Espírito Santo (DER-ES).

Featured photo of Governor Renato Casagrande