How Are the Swiss Helping to Cleanse Rio’s Water?

Rio de Janeiro – the capital of Brazil, one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere, and the first ever South American host city of the Olympics. The Olympics are always a spectacular event, and even more so in a city with such a unique culture. One controversial point, however, is Guanabara Bay. The site for the sailing competitions has drawn a lot of criticism from athletes, officials and consequently the media. The Swiss may be on hand to help though.

Raising awareness

Switzerland have been holding events to raise awareness surrounding the issue of preserving water in Brazil. The water pollution is a real cause for concern. Not only does the water have the potential for causing illness, but it could even affect the individual events. Olympic sailors are worried that floating litter could damage or affect the motion of their boats.

Through the cities of Rio and Niteroi, Swissnex and Swissando have held a number of scientific events with both educational and artistic themes. They are part of their campaign – ‘An ocean without trash, a peoples’ ocean’. Its aim is to highlight the issue of litter accumulating in the ocean and Guanabara Bay is the focal point.

Race for Water

So far, the biggest event has been the Race for Water campaign visiting Rio. It’s a research expedition led by the Swiss, which aims to study the impact of plastic pollution on global waters. The Rio visit in November 2015 involved photo presentations and a debate on the Guanabara Bay situation held at Rio’s Biblioteca Parque Estadual library.

Marco Simeoni, a project initiator for Race for Water, suggests the Brazilian government are aware of the predicament. “The Brazilian government and some local associations are working hard on this issue… the solution is to treat the waste upstream before it enters the water, by giving it value in converting the garbage into energy,” he explains.

Continued effort

The awareness campaign is planned to continue beyond the end of the Rio 2016 Olympics. Long after the athletes have returned home, there will be a Swiss presence working to de-pollute the waters of Rio. The idea of using waste for energy has become a hot topic for pollution charities and water companies alike. It’s not just an environmental issue, it can also help water companies become more efficient and cost effective. ‘Converting Wastewater into Energy’ looks at the process and benefits of sludge transformation in the water industry.