dws-arcadis-sao-francisco-river-serra-talhada-770pxDutch-based consultancy firm Arcadis won an extension from the Brazilian Ministry of National Integration of its program management contract for the São Francisco River Integration Project.

The project is currently the largest water infrastructure project in Brazil and is conducted directly by the Brazilian federal government with a total investment in the order of USD 6.4 billion. For Arcadis the contract extension has a value of approximately USD 35 million over a period of 33 months.

Arcadis will provide management and technical support including the general coordination, time and cost planning and control, procurement, engineering supervision and monitoring of environmental and construction works.

dws-arcadis-sao-francisco-new-channels-map-350px New canals will connect the reserviors of the Sao Francisco river (south on map) to the rivers in the semiarid northeast of Brazil.

Several new irrigation canals
The total São Francisco project consists of two phases, together totaling almost 720 km of canals.

Phase one consists of two principal canals of 480 km and phase two consists of four derivation canals of 240 km, covering aqueducts, tunnels and reservoirs.

Water will be pumped up to the arid basins, establishing a reliable source of drinking water with seasonal surpluses destined for irrigation.

The system will alleviate water shortages in the states of Pernambuco, Ceará, Paraíba e Rio Grande do Norte (northeastern Brazil), and will benefit more than 12 million people.

dws-arcadis-sao-francisco-basin-canal-ceara-350px Example of a new irrigation canal
near Fortaleza, Northern Brazil.

Integrated consulting engineering
Arcadis' local Brazilian subsidiary, Arcadis Logos Logos, has been working on this project since its beginning in 2005 and under this extended contract will have more than 100 employees on site at the peak of the management activities.

"This is the third time the Brazilian Ministry of National Integration is calling upon Arcadis for the São Francisco River Integration Project", said Manoel Antonio Avelino, CEO of Arcadis Logos. "This reflects our proven expertise and experience in providing integrated consulting engineering and program management services to solve complex challenges, thereby improving the quality of life around the world."

This news item was originally published on the website of Arcadis.

More information
Arcadis
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
+31 20 201 10 11
www.arcadis.com