Waterway Panorama - Antaq

l Waterway Panorama
Seminar on the Parnaíba Waterway
In May 6, 2009, in Teresina, ANTAQ and the
State of Piauí promoted the Seminar on the
Parnaíba Waterway.
With an approximate length of 1,600km and
located in the Drainage Basin of the Northeast,
the Parnaíba Waterway comprises the rivers Parnaíba
and das Balsas and is administered by the
Administration of Waterways of the Northeast –
AHINOR. It is currently used to transport cargoes
of regional interest, but it has potential for the
flow of grains produced in the agricultural frontiers
in southern Piauí, southeastern Maranhão,
and northwestern Bahia.
Completion of the lock system in the area of
the dam of Boa Esperança, the works of which
were interrupted in 1982, with 90% of installations
completed, is considered a priority for the
viability of the waterway, as other works necessary
for correction of natural the bed of the river,
such as dredging, have an easier implementation
and lower cost.
The speakers presented their views on the
waterway, emphasized its importance to logistics
in agribusiness in Brazil, and gave examples of
actions that could contribute to its implementation,
including the Public Private Partnerships –
PPP, appointed by Banco do Nordeste – BND,
highlighting the benefits for the public sector,
such as: reduced need for direct investment,
maximization of public services without bonds
that are typical of the public sector, and payment
after the start of the provision of services.
The Administration of Waterways of the
Northeast, AHINOR, highlights that, with the
coming into operation of Parnaíba, the economic
and social consequences shall be the
raising of the income level of the population of
the regions under the influence of the river and
the possibility of introducing more advanced
agricultural practices; among others; and the
need to restore the river’s course, in the process
general silting due to the lack of protection.
The Government of Piauí defended waterway
transportation as an alternative to the flow
of production. It reported that the average cost
of deployment of the waterway is approximately
US$34,000 per kilometer. In the case of the
highway, this figure rises to US$440,000.
Companhia de Desenvolvimento dos Vales
do São Francisco e do Parnaíba – CODEVASF
presented the São Francisco River Basin Revitalization
Program (PRSF). The program is divided
into five lines of actions:
1. Management and Monitoring;
2. Socio-Environmental Agenda;
3. Protection and sustainable use of natural
resources;
4. Quality of environmental sanitation; and
5. Sustainable Economies.
The ongoing activities consist of basic sanitation
works (solid waste, sewage), flood gullies
and erosion control, improved navigability, and
recovery of riparian areas. According to
CODEVASF, the program should be applied in
the Parnaíba River after adjustments.
ANTAQ presented data from the Study of Estimated
Cargo Demand for the Parnaíba Waterway,
which projects a volume of 7.5 million
tonnes of grain produced in the catchment area
of the waterway up to the year 2012 and justifies
the completion of the locks of Boa Esperança,
and investments in dredging and clearing
to make Waterway Parnaíba fully navigable.
Estimated Cargo Demand
The Region of Influence considered comprised
the states of Piauí, Maranhão, Tocantins,
and Bahia, which may use the Parnaíba River as
the preferred route for the transportation of local
produce, taking into account the lower efficiency
and absence of other transport means.
In this work, the waterway is considered only
in its navigable stretch between the cities of
Santa Filomena (PI) and Teresina (PI), taking
into account the reservoirs formed by the hydroelectric
plants of Uruçuí, Ribeiro Gonçalves,
Cachoeira, Castelhano, and Estreito, and the
completion of the locks of the HPP Boa Esperança.
The maximum distance in a straight line
between the cities considered and the Parnaiba
River was 375km.
The figure on the next page shows the selected
municipalities and the area of influence
considered in this work.
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