Социальные обязательства ГЭС Itaocara в юго-восточной Бразилии

• 1    – Геологический факультет Федерального университета Ðио-де-Æанейро;

• 2    – Бразильский институт окружающей среды и возобновляемых природных ресурсов;

• 3    – ÎÎÎ Print Comunicacao, Бразилия

In the search of a location for highest return on invested capital, companies are, along with the regular methods of assessing economic and market risks, bargaining with local governments to get the lowest rates and best benefits for their business, seeking for less regulated sites, with lower wages and low social rights application. They use the threat of relocation to convince governments about the benefits they would lose in terms of jobs and income for the population if their demands are denied. Some businesses do not have this kind of argument because they are locational dependent, such as mining ventures: the mineral deposits occur in certain areas of the planet only and, in a smaller scale, hydroelectric plants.

For these kinds of enterprises, the ongoing negotiation with the community and government is essential for their success. They seek a social license at all costs.

While technical and economic feasibility are business responsibilities, the environmental feasibility is a public decision taken by the competent environmental agency. Differently, the Social License is granted by the affected communities and can be achieved with the intervention of the Public Prosecutor through a Conduct Adjustment Term.

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Антропоэкосистемы в биосфере: обеспечение безопасности, здоровья и качества жизни РАЗДЕЛ 1

The preservation of biodiversity, the efficient use of natural resources, the reduction of emissions, effluents and waste, the mitigation of environmental impacts left by the company’s operations and surveillance of areas with potential impact all lead to Environmental Licensing, while Social Responsibility Programs and Communication Programs and strengthening relationships between organizations and communities where they operate lead to Social Licensing.

Reinforcing the role of Social Responsibility as part of sustainable development, the first Principle of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development states: “Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature” (UNCED, 1992). In the context of companies, this implies to consider the needs of stakeholders.

In search of sustainability, companies develop programs for Social Responsibility (SR). Formerly forms of citizenship performed by companies, the SR programs are now largely focused on reducing social risks. According to Acselrad (2009), they form a very effective tool used by companies to nullify the social risk, which is characterized by the potential pressure of organized social groups that can be targeted against a project, or worse, if is already in operation, against the activities of an enterprise, managing to convince public officers, especially prosecutors, to join their protest, which sometimes causes the complete stoppage of the project. Examples of conflicts can be found in the construction of hydroelectric power plants.

Brazil is a country of continental dimensions, which holds 20% of freshwater of the planet. This power generation with natural resource accounts for more than 80% of the national energy matrix for electric power generation.

The formation of lakes for electric power generation affects not only people living in areas to be flooded, but also the infrastructure of the counties in its area of influence with impacts on the physical, social and cultural media. Water consumption, sewerage generation, increase of wastes, health care, real state costs rise, vacancies in public schools, transportation, restaurants, tourism and leisure are some of the not planned expenses of their municipal budgets.

Operation of displacement of the affected communities considers only the material aspects for the purpose of financial compensation. The intangibles are never taken into account, like the knowledge of the environment, places for fishing, healing herbs – the traditional knowledge of the population is lost in exchange for electricity.

The Itaocara Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) is located in Paraíba do Sul River which is the natural frontier between the states of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil. The project will affect, in different ways, five counties in the state of Rio de Janeiro and three counties in Minas Gerais. It is responsible for the future addition of 195 MW to the national electrical system.

The first feasibility study was done in 1989. The plant was originally designed with one dam forming a lake of 76.6 km2 which completely flooded two county districts, forcing about 1,500 families to be displaced. This project, presented in 2000, generated much opposition from the population and was rejected by IBAMA, the federal environmental agency, in late 2006.

A new licensing process was opened in 2008. The entrepreneur, now a different one, presented a new alternative for the plant and prioritized the relationship with the population of the affected communities by hiring a social communication company which visited each family living in the area to be flooded.