l <strong>Waterway</strong> <strong>Panorama</strong> Seminar on the Parnaíba <strong>Waterway</strong> In May 6, 2009, in Teresina, ANTAQ and the State of Piauí promoted the Seminar on the Parnaíba <strong>Waterway</strong>. With an approximate length of 1,600km and located in the Drainage Basin of the Northeast, the Parnaíba <strong>Waterway</strong> comprises the rivers Parnaíba and das Balsas and is administered by the Administration of <strong>Waterway</strong>s 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 <strong>Waterway</strong>s 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 <strong>Waterway</strong>, 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 <strong>Waterway</strong> 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. 100
Current and Potential Cargo In Brazil, the waterway model is designed to handle large volumes of cargo of low value added. Thus, for the area in question, local agricultural production shall be the cargo to be transported on the waterway. To determine the cargo potential, grain production was investigated in each of the 128 municipalities in the area of influence. The data were obtained from the IBGE and refer to the year 2007. The following table shows the growth of grain production in the four states with municipalities in the area of influence between the years 2006 and 2007: State Grain production growth between 2006 and 2007 (%) PIAUÍ MARANHÃO TOCANTINS BAHIA * Grain production growth between 2005 and 2007 Table: Grain production growth (CONAB) 34,07* 8,7 23,44 17,76 101