Cerrado das Águas and CBH Paranaíba Partner to Protect Water
Together for a Living Territory: Cerrado das Águas and CBH Paranaíba Form a Partnership for Water and Soil Conservation
A memorandum of understanding signed during the Territorial Regeneration Forum calls for cooperation to develop projects and strengthen sustainable production practices in the Paranaíba River Watershed.
Cerrado das Águas and the Paranaíba River Watershed Committee (CBH Paranaíba) signed a Partnership and Cooperation Protocol aimed at conserving water resources and soil during the Territorial Regeneration Forum in Patrocínio (MG). The initiative establishes a joint effort to support, develop, and strengthen projects that contribute to improving water quality and availability within the basin.
The partnership aligns Cerrado das Águas’ work on territorial regeneration with water resource management guidelines. The goal is to coordinate efforts to strengthen sustainable practices, integrating the conservation of natural resources with productive activities.
“This agreement with CBH Paranaíba aims to integrate and strengthen the fundamental strategic vision that water conservation and agricultural production are inseparable. By integrating water resource governance with regenerative management that cares for the soil, increases water infiltration, and restores native vegetation, we offer the agricultural sector and global markets a collective, technical, and sustainable response to the challenges posed by the climate crisis”,
States Fabiane Sebaio, executive secretary of Cerrado das Águas.
Among the priority actions are the development and implementation of soil and water conservation projects, encouraging the adoption of sustainable production practices, and coordinating resources and partners to make these initiatives feasible.
“The Paranaíba River Basin Committee (CBH Paranaíba) is guided by the principle of directing the allocation of funds collected through water-use fees in accordance with the priorities established in its Water Resources Plan. In this context, we believe that one of the most effective strategies for maximizing these investments is to build partnerships with local stakeholders, who understand the realities of the region and the key challenges related to water management. It is in this spirit that we are building a partnership with Cerrado das Águas, which is already carrying out initiatives in the region of the Bagagem and Araras streams, among others, in an area identified by our Plan as a priority for the Committee’s activities. This collaboration will allow us to integrate efforts and develop joint initiatives, drawing on the institution’s experience and territorial knowledge. This partnership is also aligned with our core programs, particularly the Fontes Program, focused on the rational use of water, which includes initiatives such as the Mobile Irrigation Laboratory, and the Raízes Program, which encourages actions to revitalize watersheds,” says Fábio Bakker, president of the Paranaíba River Basin Committee (CBH Paranaíba).
The protocol also provides for monitoring results. Whenever possible, projects should include indicators that allow for the assessment of progress in soil conservation, water resource protection, erosion reduction, and improvements in water infiltration and retention, as well as the protection of areas critical to water security.
These criteria link institutional cooperation to results that can be monitored on the ground. The proposal aims to guide the development of initiatives capable of contributing to environmental conservation and strengthening the conditions that support water production and availability.
Projects arising from the partnership will be defined by mutual agreement among the institutions and may be formalized through work plans or supplementary instruments. These documents will establish objectives, targets, areas of action, timelines, responsibilities, resources, and monitoring indicators.
To make these actions feasible, the institutions may mobilize their own resources, third-party funds, grants, funds, and other available sources, according to the needs of each project. The protocol establishes institutional cooperation without, in and of itself, providing for the transfer of financial resources between the parties.
Signed as part of the Territorial Regeneration Forum, the partnership underscores the importance of coordination among institutions to translate conservation goals into joint initiatives, with a focus on water, soil, and territorial sustainability.
“For this coordination to yield concrete results, we consider it essential to expand the involvement of other local stakeholders, such as rural workers’ unions, cooperatives, and other organizations active in the region. We aim to build a cooperative framework capable of promoting effective changes in territorial management and, consequently, contributing to improvements in both the quantity and quality of water in the basin. It is also important to highlight the role of the PN1 and PN2 tributary committees in this process. The participation of these bodies is essential for integrating initiatives, combining efforts, and strengthening joint action in the region. We believe that this coordination—involving the Paranaíba River Basin Committee (CBH Paranaíba), the tributary committees, Cerrado das Águas, and its national and international partners—will enable us to expand the reach of investments and attract new resources to the region. More than simply allocating the funds collected, we want these investments to mobilize new partnerships, leverage resources, and generate lasting results for water management. “This is one of the main strategies guiding the work of the Paranaíba River Basin Council (CBH Paranaíba): transforming available resources into opportunities for cooperation and tangible benefits for the river basin,” concludes Fábio Bakker.
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