ReNaturalize Project recreates the characteristics of the Gualaxo do Norte River
Recreating natural ecological characteristics and processes in the stretches of the Gualaxo do Norte River, one of the main tributaries of the Doce River, is the Renova Foundation’s objective by adopting the ReNaturalize solution developed in partnership with the Espírito Santo company Aplysia Soluções Ambientais. The initiative was recognized as the Best Example in Water by the 12th edition of the Hugo Werneck Award, a national reference and considered the Oscar of ecology in the country.
“The river’s ecological restoration method is an initiative of Renova in the development of customized environmental solutions and which has been achieving good results in the recovery of Gualaxo do Norte. This award reaffirms that we are moving in the right direction”, says Paulo Machado, a specialist in Tailings Management.
Implemented in 2019 on the Gualaxo do Norte River, the ReNaturalize solution aims to accelerate the restoration of the river’s environmental conditions and is part of the Ecological Restoration Pilot Project for the environmental repair of the Doce River Basin, affected by the tailings from the Fundao dam collapse. Biologists, ecologists and engineers from Aplysia, together with Renova, installed wooden structures such as trees, trunks and grasses on the banks of the Gualaxo do Norte to help control the flow of water, creating small portions of backwaters in order to favor the creation and increase the variety of habitats conducive to the survival and development of small organisms and fish.
Altogether, the Ecological Restoration Pilot Project has already revitalized an area of approximately 1.8 km, with the fixing of 203 structures along the Gualaxo do Norte river near the Santarém stream, in Mariana (MG).
This is the second time that ReNaturalize has been recognized in an award. In 2021, the solution won the BRICS Solutions for SDGs Awards, in the Clean Water and Sanitation category (ODS 6). The award recognizes impactful work carried out in the bloc countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially through innovative projects and technology-based digital solutions.
To learn about the ReNAturalize project as well as the other winners of the 12th edition of the Hugo Werneck Award, access the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJNuMYtohIo