Brazil: Environmentalists Fight Dam Project
Ecologist and Catholic Organizations Protest Against a Dam That Is Part of the Federal Channel in Argentina

SAN PABLO, Brazil. - The Regional Director of the Global 500 Environmental Forum of United Nations Laureates, Jorge Cappato, stated that the dam to be constructed by the Brazilian company Andrade Gutiérrez will destroy the ecosystems of the Albigasta river, which rises in Catamarca and ends in Santiago del Estero, to the west of the country. The warning was made during a protest raised by "Proteger" along with the Movement of Affected People by Dams (MAB) from Brazil and also groups belonging to Greenpeace, Foro Ecologista, Taller Ecologista both from Argentina and the Justice and Peace Commission of the Dominican Order of Brazil.

The environmentalists questioned El Bolson dam project within the framework of the regional consultation held by "World Commission on Dams" (WCD) in the Centro Reboucas, Sao Paulo, 12-13 August. This project is part of a building plan known as Federal Channel or SIF (Sistema Interprovincial Federal - Federal Interprovincial System); which consists in a water intake, through a pipe, from the Dulce River at the Hondo River dam (in Santiago del Estero) that would reach the projected dam (El Bolson). It will take water from the Albigasta River from where another aqueduct will raise and finally irrigating an uninhabited and desert-like area situated in La Rioja.

The site to become flooded by the dams is inhabited by several rural communities that are going to be displaced. In addition there is an extremely drought-adapted biodiversity, that could be lost forever, and also more than one hundred species of birds and unstudied invertebrates as well as many native forestry.

The Federal Channel would deviate waters from Dulce River which at present nourishes the Rio Dulce Wetlands and Mar Chiquita Lagoon threatening with drought a inhabited and highly productive 2,000,000 hectares region. Mar Chiquita just be declared Ramsar Site by the World Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention).

The Congress of Argentina rejected the SIF budget, since it was considered not only to be environmentally destructive but expensive as well: $1,200 million.

Parties belonging to the opposition and environmentalist groups have also denounced the project, since it increases the economic value of infertile lands. During the last years several accusations have been made due to legal irregularities at the SIF.

Possible Risks

Jorge Cappato, who is also Director of the Argentinian ecologist organization Proteger, stated that the Argentine government has refused to provide updated reports on the environmental and social impacts to be brought by the dam on the Albigasta river. "It is of public knowledge the extremely serious ecological and social impact caused by dams upon local communities, native environments, hydric resources and regional climate."

María Julia Alsogaray, Argentine Secretary of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, affirmed to the Press that some studies have been made on the effect of the dam upon ground waters. However these reports have not been made public neither for the scientists centers nor for the environmentalists", said Cappato to the Press and many specialists of hydric large works. "This unclear process violates the resolutions of the National People's Defense Counsel, that ordered Alsogaray to provide the pertaining information to the affected people", added Cappato.

The documents of the Public contract (6/98, project and execution of the water pipeline from El Bolson dam up to Santa Josefa, province of Catamarca and La Rioja, reformulation of the executive project) the water provision and treatment for the city of Frias has not been considered. At present, this town provides itself water coming from the Albigasta river. Questionable Building

On last July the province of Santiago del Estero has decided to temporarily remove the work, the reason by which El Bolsón dam and the aqueduct could only be built from Catamarca up to La Rioja. But these works have also started to be questioned at national level. Quoting Clarín Newspaper of Buenos Aires, Cappato stated that the Minister of Economics Roque Fernández, has opposed himself to sign National Estate millionaire endorsements to the company, due to the legal problems it could bring for the next government, since it is not included in the present Budget of the Government and was impelled by decree by President Carlos Menem.

According to Cappato, "Andrade Gutierrez company is still in time to withdraw from the project and to save itself millionaires losses in judicial conflicts. Since it is violating 35 Argentine legislation and International Conventions as well."

In the meantime, the company will have to face critics made by environmentalist, legislators, the Catholic Church and farmers, who are categorically opposed to the project", Cappato affirmed. The Global 500 Environmental Forum regional director concluded: "It is for the company's sake as well as for the Argentine people own sake that the company should give up this work; otherwise it would have to face decades of judicial disputes".