Brazil's £2.1bn River Diversion Fails to Supply Water

Brazil's ambitious São Francisco River transposition project, costing £2.1 billion, has failed to provide water to many residents, including those displaced by its construction starting in 2007. Official statements claim the project supplies 12 million people, yet individuals like Maria de Fátima Ferreira da Silva, who was relocated nearly two decades ago, continue to live without a reliable water source. Ferreira's home is located near a concrete canal feeding a reservoir, which is part of the diversion system. This canal directs water towards the seasonally dry Paraíba River, passing through towns like Sertânia and Monteiro.

The "sertão," a vast arid region in Brazil's northeast, is prone to severe droughts, making access to water critical. Ferreira, despite her proximity to the reservoir, must collect water for her smallholding and donkey from it and pays for her drinking water monthly. The project aimed to alleviate water scarcity in this challenging environment, but its effectiveness is being questioned by the persistent lack of access for some of the most affected communities. The project's infrastructure includes canals and reservoirs designed to transport water over significant distances to arid regions.

The construction of the canal began in 2007, with the intention of bringing water from the São Francisco River to drier areas in the northeast. However, the reality on the ground for many, including Ferreira, indicates a significant gap between the project's stated goals and its actual impact. The continued reliance on paid water and the use of reservoir water for basic needs highlight the ongoing water insecurity faced by these communities, even with substantial infrastructure in place.