CAF reiterates commitment to Brazil-Uruguay border integration

CAF—development bank of Latin America—is leading the technical cooperation project entitled Support for the Concession of the São Gonçalo Canal and the Border Development around the Merín Lagoon (Brazil and Uruguay), in the context of its Regional Infrastructure Pre-Investment Program (CAF PPI). As part of this technical cooperation, a cross-border development study is being conducted, through the design of a Roadmap, to promote comprehensive development in the area, including a proposal for Priority Development Programs.

In this context, by retaining the consulting firm AIC Estudios y Proyectos, and with the support of CAF’s offices in Brazil and Uruguay, the Regional Integration Directorate carried out two Results Validation Workshops for the preparation of a Roadmap to promote the comprehensive development of the cross-border region around Laguna Merín. The workshops took place on April 18 and 20, and were held at the headquarters of the Joint Commission for the Development of the Merín Lagoon Basin, in the cities of Treinta y Tres (Uruguay) and Pelotas (Brazil). These workshops complement CAF’s work in the area, where two participatory meetings were held in 2022 to gather information in Cerro Largo (Uruguay) and Pelotas.

The event in Treinta y Tres featured a keynote speech by the host Mayor, Mario Silvera; the Mayor of the Department of Rocha, Alejo Umpiérrez; the Director of Promotion and Development of the Cerro Largo Municipality, Wilson da Rosa; the representative of the Working Group desginated by the Government of Brazil to lead the project, Patrícia Gravina; the president of the Merín Lagoon Commission, Gerardo Acosta and the CAF representative in Uruguay, François Borit.

The AIC presentation led by Gustavo Anschütz highlighted that the Uruguay-Brazil waterway is viable from the socioeconomic point of view and is expected to create value for both sides. Anschütz added that dredging of the navigable channel and ensuing continuity in the future should be the starting point. Lastly, he highlighted the consolidation of a management model, the development of a major navigable system and a multimodal logistics corridor and the creation of a recreational tourism corridor as priority projects.

The workshop in the city of Pelotas featured opening remarks by representative of the Pelotas Prefeitura, Gilmar Bazanella; the host and director of the Agência de Desenvolvimento da Lagoa Mirim, Gilberto Collares; Patrícia Gravina; the president of the Port of Rio Grande do Sul, Cristiano Klinger; and CAF official Verónica Olivera.

About 100 key stakeholders participated in both workshops, which was a space for collective reflection where the challenges and opportunities of the Brazil-Uruguay waterway were discussed. The conclusions will be incorporated into the study to design the optimal Roadmap, thus helping devise a comprehensive plan for the use of all the benefits of the Uruguay-Brazil Waterway. The results of the study will be published in June of this year.

CAF is committed to the implementation of the waterway project, which is key to Brazil-Uruguay integration, and to the comprehensive development of the transboundary zone. Thus, the second phase of the project is expected to start soon, where support will be provided to implement the identified Priority Development Programs.