Binational’s generation of clean and renewable energy includes great care with water, an increasingly scarce commodity in the world
The climate crisis and the misuse of water resources could lead to water shortages for two-thirds of the world’s population as early as 2025, predicts the United Nations. It is in this increasingly challenging scenario for society that Itaipu takes on the leading role of showing the world its experience of shared management of water resources between Brazil and Paraguay.
Long before talking about climate change and water scarcity, the plant had already started qualitative and quantitative monitoring of water resources, to protect forests, soil conservation and biodiversity, fostering research and innovations focused on the topic.
For experts, the water shortage crisis in the world involves several actions, from modernizing legislation to raising awareness among all sectors of society regarding the conscious use and consumption of this resource.
This awareness work is carried out throughout Binacional’s coverage area, in Brazil and Paraguay, combined with actions that included and include the recovery of springs; the implementation of supply systems; combating erosion and mitigating alluviation of rivers and, consequently, of the plant’s reservoir.
Itaipu forms partnerships with municipalities, communities, private properties and other interested parties to promote the restoration of riverine forests, the formation of ecological corridors and the conservation of agricultural and forest soil. In addition, the company promotes several monitoring, research and conservation initiatives.
Actions such as terracing and the readjustment of rural and urban roads prevent soil erosion and sediment loading, which increases the useful life of the reservoir, currently estimated at 194 years. In collaboration with municipalities, communities, private properties and other stakeholders, it has developed programs to promote the restoration of riparian forests, the formation of ecological corridors and the conservation of agricultural and forest soil.
Partnership
For Itaipu, inclusive participation through partnerships with various stakeholders is a commitment intrinsically linked to its management system, constituting one of the most important issues in its different lines of action. Itaipu follows policies and practices in partnership with many regional, national and international organizations, in addition to the high engagement of civil society.
Therefore, Itaipu has become an example of how a binational collaboration can successfully promote peaceful and lasting integration between two nations, generating clean and reliable energy for its citizens and, ultimately, inducing prosperity and sustainable development. One of the main pillars of Itaipu’s corporate strategy is inclusive and participatory policies and practices, applied through its many effective and comprehensive multi-stakeholder partnerships.
By recognizing the need to include relevant stakeholders and execute its core activities and its extensive network of partnerships, the binational plant has been able to mobilize and share knowledge, experience, technologies and financial resources to achieve many specific objectives in the social, economic and environmental dimensions of the sustainable development.
Credit: Alexandre Marchetti
Awards
This leadership earned Itaipu Binacional, among other recognitions, the UN “Water for Life” award, and the UNESCO “Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve” award, granted to both banks, Brazilian and Paraguayan, for the 10 protected areas maintained in both countries. The extent of these conservation areas, which includes native forests and reforestation areas, totals 45,305 hectares.
Socio-environmental responsibility has been part of Itaipu’s institutional mission for 21 years (since 2003). It is a commitment of the company, its employees and collaborators to society and life on the planet. Since then, the work to restore the rivers and springs in the area along the reservoir has been reinforced.
To preserve fauna and flora, there are refuges, reserves and the biodiversity corridor, which promote the conservation of the region’s native forests. To recover areas devastated by agricultural practices, the plant launched reforestation actions that will allow the planting of 20 million native tree seedlings.
With these measures, Itaipu guarantees the health of the Paraná River and the reservoir, understanding that, in large basins, the health of the river is a direct consequence of the measures adopted to control surface runoff and favor the infiltration of water into the soil, prevent erosion and reduce the input of sediments and nutrients.
G20 in Foz
Due to its importance in sustainable development, Itaipu Binacional is taking the G20 Energy Transition ministerial meeting to Foz do Iguaçu (PR). The event takes place at the end of September and will be the only meeting outside a capital city. Brazil holds the presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024.
Itaipu
With 20 generating units and 14 thousand MW of installed power, Itaipu is a world leader in the generation of clean and renewable energy, having produced, since 1984, 3 billion MWh. In 2023, it was responsible for around 10% of Brazil’s electricity supply and 88% of Paraguay’s.
