Paths to convergence of interests in depollution of the Guandu River in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract:

In January 2020, the population of Greater Metropolitan Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, suffered deterioration in the quality of the public water supply, caused by the presence of geosmin, which compromised the water treatment process at the Guandu Water Treatment Plant, the only water source in the region. The phenomenon results from lack of investment in sewage infrastructure in the Guandu River Basin, which previously affected only the predominantly low-income population. The article aims to identify different social actors’ roles and actions, using the Systemic Integration methodology, to allow convergence of their interests for prioritizing and achieving depollution of the Guandu River. Two distinct groups were identified: those who need to collaborate to achieve success with the initiative, consisting of planning, operations, and inspection agencies, and actors capable of politically leveraging and enabling the initiative, namely influential social, political, economic, and media sectors. In conclusion, the water supply crisis may recur seasonally if nothing is done and may thus be the element capable of leading to a convergence of interests among influential sectors for investment in sewage infrastructure to reverse the river basin’s degradation, a requirement to solve the water crisis in Rio de Janeiro.

Keywords:
Water Supply; Water Treatment Plants; Sewerage; Public Policy; Social Investiment Project