We Need to Talk About Water

It was chosen as the theme of the last Odebrecht S.A. Annual Report and should gain even more emphasis in our discussions and initiatives focused on Sustainability

Many regions are edging closer to conflict situations due to a shortage of water. In less than 10 years, 48 countries will not have enough water for their populations, which will put nearly 3 billion people at risk

This is the estimate of the United Nations (UN), and raises the question of what we – governments, companies, and citizens – can to do minimize how our consumption affects the planet. It is impact that does not only reflect on economic growth and global political stability, but which will primarily reflect on our future.

With production processes that depend on the continuous use of this resource, how can we consume it more responsibly at our company? The Odebrecht Group has adopted measures to guarantee this. Some of these are already positively affecting our indicators and serve as a reference for us to advance further on the topic.

The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) orient national policies and international cooperation activities on topics such as reducing inequalities, combating global warming, gender equality, and clean energy. Water and Sanitation are Themes of Sixth SDG

At Odebrecht Group

Due to the nature of its activities, water is one of the topics that earns the most attention at Odebrecht Engineering & Construction (OEC), Braskem, Odebrecht Agroindustrial, and the Odebrecht Foundation. According to the 2016/2017 Odebrecht S.A. Annual Report, Agro was able to recirculate 50.6% of the water collected in its industrial process and reuse 100% of the water from industry in field fertigation. Considering that agriculture accounts for approximately 70% of freshwater consumption worldwide, this indicator reveals that it is indeed possible to make a difference.

“Historically, each Business has been taking measures to reduce its water footprint, aware of the challenges inherent to its activity,” explained Carla Pires, from the Odebrecht S.A. Sustainability Area. “The initiatives involve everything from basic actions to better understand consumption levels and identify losses, to technological innovations and the breaking of paradigms, as is the case of the Aquapolo Project, which supplies Braskem with recycled water from the SABESP treatment process in São Paulo. Other initiatives, such as Agro’s Recovery of Water Sources in Settlements project; and the reuse at Laúca Hydroelectric Power Plant projects in Angola, also demonstrate that all areas have shown a concern with making progress on this topic,” said Pires.

At Braskem, the total consumption of the resource in 2016 was 3% lower compared to the previous year. Furthermore, the company was able to reuse 23.4% of all the water it consumed during a 12-month period in its industrial activities.

Engineering & Construction reduced its water consumption last year by 37.9%, although this rate also reflects the smaller number of active projects. On its work fronts, emphasis is placed on reusing the effluents generated during the construction work. “Water is a natural resource whose management is increasingly needed,” said Paulo Campos, Head of Sustainability at OEC. “Even where it is abundant, caring for its quality justifies the efforts. At the construction company, water can be incorporated into our products or used in production processes. Reuse is already a reality, but we can still do more. By doing this, we enjoy the double benefit of reducing its extraction from nature and cutting the release of effluents into natural bodies of water,” said Campos.

The management of the Odebrecht São Paulo Building (EOSP) itself, which concentrates the majority of the Group’s Businesses, offers an example of how this awareness needs to become part of people’s routine, including at the office. EOSP has an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) that guarantees the treatment of approximately 1,800 m³ of wastewater per month and helps reduce the demand for treated water supplied to the building.

“The topic of water security is one of the challenges we already face,” said Sergio Leão, head of Sustainability at Odebrecht S.A. “We need to improve our performance with indicators that demonstrate rational water use, sharing in the protection of water sources, loss reduction, conscious use, and reuse,” he said.

OSP has an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) that guarantees the treatment of approximately 1,800 m³ of wastewater per month and helps reduce the demand for treated water supplied to the building

In its 2016/2017 Annual Report, Odebrecht S.A. presents water as a main theme. Water as an element of renewal and transparency, representing the company’s current phase. And water, primarily, as a crucial resource for life.

Sustainable Actions

The Odebrecht Group has also dedicated its efforts to raising awareness about the topic in society. Led by Braskem, the Movement to Reduce Losses in Distribution works to improve water resource management in Brazil by combating physical losses in the distribution system. The project encourages the participation and engagement of the government, civil society, and the private sector, focusing on improving water use efficiency.
At the Odebrecht Foundation, the challenge is to promote sustainable development in the communities of the Bahia Southern Lowlands. Through the Program for Development and Growth Integrated with Sustainability (PDCIS), the institution supports the Land Conservation Association (OCT), which recovers sources to promote the region’s water availability and conserve local vegetation. OCT also offers technical guidance to the farmers focused on planning, the regularization of their properties, and soil conservation.

Supported by OCT, another initiative made the city of Ibirapitanga Bahia’s first Water Producer. Through the Municipal Environmental Service Payment Program, farmers who adopted good water and soil conservation practices began receiving both technical guidance as well as financial support for the integrated planning of their properties.

Aquapolo Project, which supplies Braskem with recycled water from the SABESP treatment process in São Paulo

At Agro, the project Recovery of Water Sources in Settlements – developed by the Social Energy Program in partnership with Goiás Federal University – worked directly to recover the water sources in settlement plots located in the rural zone of the municipality of Perolândia.

The project proposed dialogue and an exchange of experiences with farmers on the importance of balancing production with preservation. The model considers not only the ecological issue, but also economic, social, and cultural aspects associated with agricultural activities. The goal is to halt the degradation of the water sources caused by the intensive use of the areas for agriculture and cattle raising.

There was a significant environmental gain, since the water sources were surrounded and isolated from the degrading agents. Six hundred seedlings of native Scrubland species were also planted to contribute toward the ecological function of maintaining the hydric recharge of waterways, protecting the surrounding area and maintaining local biodiversity and flora preservation. After one year of recovery, testimonials from the settlers themselves proved the re-appearance of water in large volume in the plots.

Through the Municipal Environmental Service Payment Program, farmers who adopted good water and soil conservation practices began receiving both technical guidance as well as financial support for the integrated planning of their properties

Another initiative, this time in Angola, was one of the winners of the Destaque Award in 2014. A project headed by Engineering & Construction was considered innovative for integrating a set of actions that made it possible to reuse large volumes of effluents, both industrial as well as sanitary, generated from the main processes at the Laúca Hydroelectric Power plant project.

“Our experience reveals that the best results with rational water use appear when there is a convergence of actions by private initiative, governments, and civil society organizations,” said Sergio Leão. “This is the path we should prioritize at our Businesses,” he said.

What Do We Do to Prevent Water Waste? At the Odebrecht São Paulo Building, one action proved that we members are not always aware of this waste: in July, the management computed over 1,000 liters of water collected from bottles of water that were opened and left on work desks. More than 3,500 cups were thrown away in a single month. All of the water collected was reused by the cleaning teams. However, it is obvious that this palliative measure is far from representing a solution. And you? What have you done as part of your daily routine?

Did you know?

Jobs are directly associated with water management in areas such as water supply, infrastructure, and waste management; and water-dependent sectors like agriculture and fishing. Furthermore, access to sanitation and treated drinking water make it easier to create income opportunities and train an engaged and conscious work force