Thaís Brianezi
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Manaus – The president of the Interamerican Development Bank (Banco Interamericano de Desenvolvimento) (BID), Luís Alberto Moreno, was in Manaus yesterday and flew over an area known as the Educandos Basin (Bacia do Educandos). Four waterways (igarapés) in the basin are to be recovered through an IDB financing project of US$140 million as part of a larger program to recover various waterways near Manaus (Programa de Recuperação Social e Ambiental dos Igarapés de Manaus) (Prosamim). Brazil will make a counterpart payment of US$60 million to be paid by the state of Amazonas.

Prosamim also is recovering seven other waterways in the area around Manaus with financing from the Caixa Econômica Federal totalling US$58.32 million (R$125 million).

The IDB financing project has been in the pipeline for three years. "This is going to be model for future projects. It will benefit regional fishing. The important thing is that we have done the planning and are now ready for execution," said Moreno.

At the moment the IDB has projects worth some US$200 million in the Amazon region. The bank is involved in recperating the historical center of Manaus and a protection system for the whole region (Sistema de Proteção da Amazônia).

Translation: Allen Bennett