Pular para o conteúdo principal

Waves recognized as rights holders in Brazil

Regência, Linhares: one of the best waves in Brazil is now protected by law

Linhares, a municipality in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, is the world's first administrative region to recognize the rights of waves.

Brazil's Atlantic-facing coastline is 4,655 miles (7,491 kilometers) long and is known for its quality surf breaks.

However, the Brazilian shores are also the final destination for all its rivers, meaning they carry whichever water quality to the ocean.

The Doce River crosses the municipality of Linhares and flows toward Regência, a surf town known for its several perfect waves.

Toxic Barrels

On November 5, 2015, a dam containing waste water from an iron ore mine in Mariana, southeastern Brazil, failed catastrophically.

The mine was operated by Samarco, a partnership between Vale and BHP Billiton.

The collapse unleashed torrents of mud that overwhelmed a nearby town, resulting in the deaths of at least 17 people and injuries to more than 50 others.

The disaster caused significant ecological damage, endangering life along the Doce River and affecting the Atlantic Ocean near its estuary.

Approximately 60 million cubic meters of iron ore waste were released into the river, with toxic mud reaching the Atlantic Ocean after 17 days.

Consequently, all the muddy waters destroyed Regência's waves by altering the seafloor and polluting the lineups.

Until the disastrous 2015 environmental catastrophe, the worst ever in Brazil's history, these tubular waves reminded us of Namibia, Supertubos, or some of Bali's finest barrels.

The eco-tragedy changed it all, and the surf economy of Regência only started to recover five years later, around 2020.

Mariana dam disaster, 2015: the contamination of Rio Doce reached Regência and the Atlantic Ocean | Photo: Creative Commons

The Rights of Nature

The idea of a bill that recognizes and protects the rights of waves of the Doce River mouth dates back to 2018.

The development of this legal proposal dates back to the first forum on the rights of nature that took place in Brazil in 2018.

The bill took shape around 2020 with the backing and support of the Regência Surfing Association, Direitos da Natureza, Regenera Rio Doce, and the Linhares Surfing Association.

The final draft was welcomed by Councilor Antônio Cesar and submitted as a bill under his mandate in 2023.

The bill is based on the Rights of Nature, a legal modality recognized by the United Nations (UN) and promoted in Brazil, mainly by the non-governmental organization Direitos da Natureza.

Waves as Legal Entities

The bill recognizing the right of waves to continue breaking perfectly at the mouth of the Rio Doce marks a historic moment for the surfing world and coastal communities.

It follows the steps of the work done, for instance, by the World Surfing Reserves.

However, it also adds a new layer of protection to unique wave-riding environments by establishing a shield around all ecological factors and variables responsible for wave quality.

These include consistent water quality levels, dam discharge, dune system protection, sand replenishment, ocean floor monitoring, shoreline armoring, coastal development control, etc.

When the mayor signs the bill, and it becomes law, the waves of the Doce rivermouth will be entitled to the following rights:

  • Preservation of their physical and chemical conditions to maintain ecological balance;
  • Protection of water bodies within the ecosystem from human interference to sustain essential ecological cycles;
  • Safeguard culturally, environmentally, and touristically important areas associated with the waves' ecosystem through the implementation and expansion of public policies;
  • Promotion of harmonious interactions with humans through cultural, spiritual, leisure, and ecological activities;
  • Ensure representation by stakeholders with a special connection to the waves' ecological cycle in relevant public decision-making processes;
  • Receive support from government, community, and civil society groups in public decision-making processes;
  • Integration of traditional knowledge and conservation practices into decision-making alongside scientific approaches;
  • Ensure accountability and remediation for human-caused damage to their recognized intrinsic rights;

A committee made up of surfers from the community, traditional custodians, and a member of the city council's environmental chamber will advocate for the rights of the waves.


Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com



por Surf News | Headlines and Top Stories https://ift.tt/gN0J29T

Postagens mais visitadas deste blog

Duke Kahanamoku reflects on surfing, Olympics, and old Hawaii in 1966 interview

Duke Kahanamoku is the most influential surfer of all time and is often hailed as the father of modern surfing. There is nearly no one questioning these titles. Recently, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Hawaii unveiled a never-before-seen interview with the legendary surfer and Olympic swimmer. In the 1966 episode of Pau Hana Years, a seminal Hawaii television program that aired on KHET-TV (now PBS Hawaii) for 16 years, running from 1966 until 1982, Bob Barker chats with Duke Kahanamoku, then 76. The conversation drifts from royal ancestry to Olympic lanes, from Hollywood sets to a surfboard shaped by hand, tracing the outline of a life that helped define modern surfing and Hawaii's public image in the 20th century. And if you know little about the man who dreamed of getting surfing into the Olympic Games, this is a precious piece of history. A name with history, worn casually The interview starts with Kahanamoku explaining that "Duke" is not a title but his giv...
Leia mais

The hydrodynamics of surfboard fins

Have you ever wondered why a surfboard fin looks like that? It is a single or a set of fixed blades or keels located under a board, near the tail, often no bigger than a hand. Yet that small surface is where much of the surfboard's behavior takes place. Speed, hold, looseness, and the feeling of control all trace back to how water moves around fins. The physics of surfboard fins falls under hydrodynamics, the study of how fluids behave in motion. So, according to science, they feature a shape designed to turn flowing water into several forces. Let's take a look at what's at stake when fins and water interact. Lift and the feeling of control One of the key variables in hydrodynamic terms involving surfboard fins is lift. When a surfer leans into a turn, the board tilts and the fins meet the water at an angle. The angle is enough to create a pressure difference between the two sides of the fin. Water speeds up on one side and slows on the other. The result is a sidewa...
Leia mais

How paddleboarding transforms your body and mind

Adventure is on our doorstep. With so many different bodies of water available to paddleboarders, from city canals to coastal routes, we can find adventure in places much closer to home than people might initially expect. According to the Canal and River Trust, 50 percent of people in England and Wales live within just eight kilometers of a canal or river, and eight million people live less than one kilometer away. I had lived within just a few kilometers of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal for years and never really explored it before stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) came into my life . The challenge created both a new perspective and a deeper love for where I lived and the areas which I passed through. On my coast-to-coast journey, I slept in my own bed for two nights as the route passed through my then hometown of Skipton, yet I felt I was on a grand journey of discovery. We are braver, stronger, and more resilient than we think. SUP not only helps us feel more connected to our va...
Leia mais