Sister Watersheds Research Project

About Us

Partners of the Sister Watersheds Project

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) supports sustainable development in developing countries in order to reduce poverty and to contribute to a more secure, equitable and prosperous world. For CIDA development is a complex, long-term process that involves all of the world's people, governments and organizations at all levels. Working with partners in the private and public sectors in Canada and in developing countries, and with international organizations and agencies, CIDA supports foreign aid projects in more than 100 of the poorest countries of the world. The objective: to work with developing countries and countries in transition to develop the tools to eventually meet their own needs.

ECOAR

Founded in 1992, ECOAR (the ECOAR Institute for Citizenship) is a non-for-profit civil society association, headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil. It was formed by professionals, academics, and environmentalists who met following the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (ECO-92) and the Global Forum 92, to act on emerging environmental issues, contribute to the construction of a sustainable society and work for social-environmentally progressive public policies.

Focusing its activities in metropolitan areas and in human-inhabited environments, the ECOAR Institute for Citizenship and the ECOAR Forest Association create, develop and implement programs and projects on urban forests, extension activities and forest development, shared administration of densely urbanized areas, participatory management of watersheds, implementation of local Agenda 21 programs, creation and animation of environmental networks, waste reduction and management, and environmental education courses.

University of São Paulo (USP)

The University of São Paulo was founded in 1934 in a context marked by important social, political and cultural transformations in Brazil. USP is the largest higher education and research institution of the country and the third largest university in Latin America. USP has six campuses -- one in the city of São Paulo and five others in the state, in the cities of Bauru, Piracicaba, Pirassununga, Ribeirão Preto and São Carlos. The university combines professional development, experimentation, research, social activism and cultural experience to provide its students real preparation for life and work in society.

CECAE

CECAE was the USP office which coordinates international cooperation and extension activities. It was created in 1988 with the mission of generating and developing cooperation initiatives, promoting an effective relationship between university and society.

At USP, CECAE had responsibility for coordinating the university's participation in the Bacias Irmãs (Sister Watersheds) project, supporting the watershed technical teams in accomplishing their activities, supporting international exchange students, and coordinating international academic agreements.

ESALQ

Two USP academic units were involved in the Bacias Irmãs (Sister Watersheds) project: the Department of Forest Sciences of ESALQ - the Luiz de Queiroz Agriculture College -- through its Laboratory of Education and Environmental Policies (OCA) situated on the Piracicaba campus. OCA focuses on participatory education processes, management, research and extension to stimulate the protection, recovery and improvement of the environment and human quality of life.

PROCAM

The second USP unit involved in the Sister Watersheds project was the graduate program in Environmental Sciences -- PROCAM -- at the main (University CIty) USP campus. PROCAM was launched in 1989 by the former rector of the University of São Paulo, environmentalist Prof. José Goldemberg. Its interdisciplinary academic program related to environmental problems encompasses Humanities, Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Applied Sciences.

People of the Sister Watersheds Project