ISAF Statement on Pollution ahead of Aquece Rio Test Event
The International Sailing
Federation (ISAF) continues to address concerns and is taking steps to ensure
the health and safety of all athletes who will be competing in the upcoming
Aquece Rio, Olympic Test Event and the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition.
ISAF continues to work closely with senior staff members at the Rio 2016
Organising Committee for the Olympic Games as well as the International
Olympic Committee (IOC), whom ISAF President Carlo Croce and ISAF Chief
Executive Officer Peter Sowrey met with in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the
128th IOC Session.
ISAF is in continuous discussions with Brazilian authorities in preparation
for the Olympic Games, and has been given reassurances on pollution and
objects in the water, in and around the race area of Marina da Gloria and
Guanabara Bay.
ISAF, Rio 2016, the IOC, the Brazilian Government, Rio State Environment
Institute (INEA) and State Environment Agency (SEA) are all working together
to prepare for Rio 2016, and Brazilian authorities are working to guidelines
and recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure a safe
and fair field of play for the athletes.
The health and safety of the competing athletes is paramount and responses
have been implemented from concerns raised by both Member National
Authorities (MNAs) and sailors from previous events, including the 2014
Aquece Rio, the first of two sailing test events that was held in August
2014.
Ok, so the Brazillian Government is putting in ec0-barriers to try and keep out the floating garbage.
But one might ask what are they doing about the polluted water. I read somewhere that the bay is a veritable cesspool. Just diverting the sewerage to somewhere else is not a solution. - ed |
Sailors were concerned with objects that may interfere with racing during the
Olympic Games, and in response the state government launched a tender of up
to $11million USD for 17 ecobarriers to be put in place. These ecobarriers
will prevent floating garbage from entering Guanabara Bay and the race areas.
The new system of ecobarriers will be complemented by ecoboats that will
collect garbage that accumulates around the barriers, with a further step of
a monitoring system utilising satellite pictures to support the ecoboats.
As part of every Olympic Games, there is a focus on legacy. ISAF hopes that
the power of the Olympic Games will provide a great legacy as Rio de Janeiro
works to improve the state of the bay generally. The IOC monitors the water
twice weekly, which will be increased to every other day during the 2015
Aquece Rio test event.
Other measures taken to increase this legacy will be a new pipeline that will
divert sewage from Marina da Gloria, ready by November 2015, well in advance
of the Olympic Games, which compliments the other proactive measures around
the Guanabara Bay, such as closing landfills, reducing industrial pollution
and increasing water treatment works.
Rio will welcome sailors once again from 13-22 August 2015 for the second
Test Event, with racing taking place inside and outside of Guanabara Bay. The
Test Event will allow ISAF the opportunity evaluate and make key decisions in
advance of making the final decisions that will govern the main event.
Millions of visitors flock to Copacabana Beach and Ipanema Beach each year.
These beaches and other world famous attractions, such as Sugarloaf Mountain
and Christ the Redeemer, will ensure these iconic features of the city, and
the athleticism and dedication of each Olympic sailor, will be showcased side
by side.
In terms of displaying the sport, Rio will certainly provide a perfect
platform for the beauty of the sport to be promoted alongside natural and
man-made wonders with racing taking place in the shadow of both Sugarloaf
Mountain and Christ the Redeemer.