URGENT ACTION APPEAL FROM BRAZIL
The Grassroots Movement of People Affected by Dams (known in
Brazil as MAB or Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens) urgently
appeal for your solidarity in the form of protest messages so
that a major environmental and social disaster may be averted.
During the early hours of Friday morning last (May 20, 1994)
the construction of a hydro electric dam was authorized during a
public hearing. The dam is to be situated on the River Ribeira de
Iguape at Tijuco Alto in the State of Sao Paulo. It is to be
constructed by businessman Antonio Ermirio de Moraes of the
Votorantim group of companies and will be used to produce
electrical power for aluminum manufacture.
The fact that the dam will flood a large section of an
environmentally preserved area of international importance was
not seriously considered when the licensing body CONSEMA, gave
its final decision. The area in question is the Atlantic
Rainforest (Mata Atlantica) whose present day distribution
represents a mere 8% of the area originally covered by this
forest in Brazil. Environmentalists in Brazil feel that this
authorization will open the door for the state electricity
company to construct a further three dams already planned and so
cause more widespread environmental and social damage. According
to the environmental groups who accompany this question adequate
impact studies have not been made and alternatives have not been
discussed.
With the construction of the dam at Tijuco Alto and the
likely construction of a further three at Itaoca, Funil and
Batatal the foreseen environmental and social damages are as
follows:
- The flooding of 11000 hectares of the best agricultural land in
the region of which approximately 2500 hectares are of Atlantic
Rainforest.
- The flooding of almost 100 important pre-colonial
archaeological sites not yet studied or excavated.
- The expulsion of at least 4000 families from the area to be
flooded.
- The extermination of 18 quilombos (historical communities of
descendants of escaped slaves).
- 11 caves and historical monuments from early colonial times
will be submerged by the flood-waters.
- Widespread damage to the Iguape-Cananeia estuary will be caused
by the construction of the dams. Internationally this estuary is
considered to be a very important and unique area environmentally
and approximately 8000 families make their livelihood from
fishing there.
Brazilian authorities are EXTREMELY sensitive to
international pressure and for this reason MAB requests that you
send a message to the President of Brazil in which you state your
concerns and objections regarding the environmental and social
damages likely to be caused by the construction of the Tijuco
Alto dam; request him to do all in his power to have the
autorization for the dam construction canceled.
The address for your your protest messages to the President of
Brazil is:
Exmo. Sr. Presidente Itamar Franco,
Palacio do Planalto,
Praca dos 3 Poderes,
70150 - 900 Brasilia,
D.F., Brazil.
Fax (061)226 7566
MAB requests that you send them a copy of your message to
President Franco. The address is:
MAB,
Rua do Comercio, 22,
Centro,
01013-010 Sao Paulo,
Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Fax (011)353 147.
If you wish to send a copy of your message to MAB by e-mail,
please send it to us at SEJUP and we will be happy to forward it
to them. Our mail box is sejup@ax.apc.org
Sincere thanks for your interest and support. Please be assured
that your message will significantly help to avoid widespread
environmental and social damages.