The shores of Guanabara Bay have always been part of the imagination of Maré's residents, from the elderly to the youngest. The significance it carries dates back to the construction of this territory and, even today, it continues to support many fishing families who still work in the region.
However, the lack of responsible public sanitation policies in most of the municipalities within the Guanabara Bay Watershed compromises its conservation. According to 2020 data from the Brazilian Association of Public Cleaning and Special Waste/ABRELPE, the Bay receives a huge volume of pollutants daily: over 4.5 million liters of sewage and nearly 100 tons of garbage every day from various parts of Rio. Of the 17 municipalities that make up the Guanabara Bay Watershed, six lack sewage treatment (Cachoeiras de Macacu, Guapimirim, Magé, Rio Bonito, São João de Meriti, and Tanguá), while 14 of them have less than 20% of their sewage treated. In this sense, the rivers and streams that run through Maré act as pathways leading to a single destination, carrying all the waste and depositing it in the Bay.
For Maré residents who depend on these waters, such as fishermen, the situation becomes more critical. They report that each year, fish become scarcer; they need to go further and further for their catches. Moreover, exposure to increasingly polluted water puts them at constant risk. Nonetheless, they do not cease to recount their memories of leisure on beaches that can no longer be entered.
Photos: Patrick Marinho -"Navegantes"
Misguided urban planning decisions made in the past and the lack of coordinated actions by the government result in polluted rivers, open sewage, and a drastic reduction in the biodiversity around the Bay.
Redes da Maré, like many civil society organizations, seeks to raise awareness among residents about the importance of this body of water, which is so fundamental to our lives and cultures. We also continue to collect data and develop actions that can influence the formulation of public policies that contribute to the establishment of intelligent environmental practices and a more sustainable city, ensuring, for example, quality basic sanitation and clean water for all.
Cleaning up the Bay is urgent, but it is important to understand that this process begins far from its boundaries. It is necessary to invest in socio- environmental measures and efficient public policies for basic sanitation in all municipalities within the watershed, clean the rivers that flow into it, and treat the solid waste from all surrounding cities, in addition to encouraging popular participation in monitoring the processes to ensure structural and fundamental changes. And for environmental crimes that accumulate over the years, the accountability and punishment of those who directly and/or indirectly caused damage to the environment, human health, and animals are essential.
Also, see the interview that Maré de Notícias conducted with ecologist, environmentalist and co-founder of the Baía Viva Movement, Sérgio Ricardo de Lima, about the challenges faced throughout the year, achievements, and mobilization and coordination strategies to change the current scenario. According to him, the Baía Viva Movement develops projects to defend the region's ecosystems, and one of these actions resulted in the University of the Sea of Guanabara Bay (UniMar), in partnership with the Oceanography University of UERJ, MORENA (Paquetá Residents Association), and already has the support of more than 50 departments, laboratories and research groups. In March 2022, the UERJ Rector, Professor Ricardo Lodi, signed the act establishing UniMar as an Extension Program.
Rio de Janeiro, January 18, 2023.
