Northeastern Brazil Groundwater Project

Visit of the Canadian Minister for International
 Cooperation to the PROASNE Pilot Area 
in Ceará

On Saturday, March 10^th 2002, Susan Whelan, then Minister for International Cooperation, toured the PROASNE project site in the municipality of Irauçuba, state of Ceará, northeast Brazil, where Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), through the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), is conducting a technology transfer / humanitarian program on behalf of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).  

The Minister’s visit followed visits to the same area by the Canadian Ambassador to Brazil, Jean-Pierre Juneau, in June 2001 and by the President of CIDA, Len Good, in November 2001.

The highlight of the Minister’s visit was a newly installed experimental solar powered pumping and water purification station in the energy-deprived farming community of Livramento in the municipality of Irauçuba, which had been inaugurated some three months earlier by CIDA’s President.

This station is the outcome of a multi-partner, cost-shared effort involving several public and private sector organizations; among them: NRCan; Sunmotor International Inc., a Calgary-based company that specializes in solar technology; SOHIDRA, a state-owned water resource developer; Dancor, a Brazilian pump manufacturer; the Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM); and the Municipality and the people of Irauçuba.  Canada’s technological contribution to the project consisted of specially designed, highly efficient motors that allow water pumping and purification with relatively low energy requirements.  Other technologies that are being transferred from Canada through PROASNE include Earth observation by satellite remote sensing; electromagnetic geophysical methods, both ground and airborne, for groundwater mapping; artificial aquifer recharge; groundwater modeling; research on groundwater salinity, etc. 

The Minister also visited the neighbouring community of Juá where she met the residents in the local schoolhouse. Short presentations were made by the students and local representatives, and by the Minister who gave a talk on Canada and presented a video illustrating various aspects of Canadian life.  A lovely and touching poem by the teachers and students of the school, describing the impact of CIDA's project in their community, was written during the weeks preceeding the visit and presented to the Minister on this occasion.  Gifts were exchanged and a light lunch was offered by the school.

Earlier, on Friday, March 8^th, in Rio de Janeiro, the Minister gave a banquet in honour of the Canada-Brazil partnership in PROASNE.  Amongst the special guests were the President of the Geological Survey of Brazil, Dr. Humberto Costa, the Canadian Ambassador to Brazil, Jean-Pierre Juneau, and CIDA’s Vice-President for the Americas, Robert Anderson.  PROASNE was represented by its Brazilian and Canadian managers, Enjôlras Medeiros (CPRM) and Yvon Maurice (NRCan), Fernando Feitosa, the technical coordinator and Luciana Cibelle dos Santos, the social program coordinator.  During the reception, the Minister announced a 15% budget increase for PROASNE's social and gender programs and Dr. Maurice made a presentation on the project’s recent accomplishments.