Integrated urban water management in Aracaju, Brazil

Integrated urban water management in Aracaju, the capital city of the Brazilian State of Sergipe (SSE) has been and still is a challenging prospect.

The watersheds and rivers feeding the capital city are drought prone; therefore, water scarcity is an ongoing challenge for Aracaju.

Aracaju does not have significant groundwater resources, experiences conflicts between urban and agricultural demand, struggles with a weak institutional framework, and discharges untreated wastewater the São Francisco River running through the city.

(Source:FAO 2000) Aracaju has a typical tropical climate, with warm temperatures and high relative humidity throughout the year.

Surface water is the main source of supply, with limited use of groundwater, which is still an unknown and uncertain resource for the area.

Inefficient management of the irrigation perimeters is also a constraint that needs to be addressed to guarantee their sustainability and optimize positive social and economic results.

As the population of the Sergipe river basin continues to grow at a higher rate than the state average, it is important to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing and planned infrastructure and the management of water resources and services.

Only an average of 38.7% of the population has access to sewerage, and untreated sewer discharged into water bodies contributes to the basin's downstream pollution.

Solid waste is disposed of in open air dumps along highways, in mangroves, or in areas close to water causing severe urban and environmental impacts.

Furthermore, this plan defines and investment strategy for the management of freshwater resources and great control of water pollution.

DESO takes on all components (safeguards, technical, procurement, financial management) when dealing with water and cities projects.