Rio - The level of contamination of rivers, lakes, and ponds in Brazil is five times what it was ten years ago. This is one of the findings contained in the "Report on Brazil's Actual Water Conditions," which will be released today at the headquarters of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) in Brasília. The document will also be presented in Geneva, Switzerland, in October, at a meeting of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The report, which was unveiled yesterday (21) at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), is an undertaking of the Shout for Water Movement (an NGO), the CNBB, the Federal Public Interest Defense Ministry, and the UFRJ. The document also lists around 20 thousand contaminated areas, mostly industrial waste dumps, with populations potentially at risk.

According to Leonardo Morelli, Secretary-General of the Shout for Water Movement, 70% of all water is used for commercial agriculture, 20% for manufacturing industry, which returns the water in polluted form, and only 10% is left over for human consumption. "This has consequences for public health, rendering the population more vulnerable to diseases and perils to future generations, such as infertility and genetic alterations," he said.

He also asserted that the report indicates a growing risk of´water shortage. "In the next 10 years, the metropolitan areas of Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo will be most exposed to this shortage," he underscored.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Aline Beckestein
Translator: David Silberstein
09/22/2004