Municipal Government of Fortaleza (PMF)
The Pitch
The Municipal Government of Fortaleza improved living conditions for residents of the most vulnerable neighborhoods by instituting a new solid waste management system, connecting homes to the sewage system and enhancing flood resilience of the city’s second-largest park.
The Problem
Due to rapid and unplanned urbanization, the Vertente Marítima Basin and areas around Rachel de Queiroz Park dealt with severe sewage pollution and received the lowest number on the Human Development Index.
The Process
- Improved natural and built environments in Vertente Marítima Basin and Rachel de Queiroz Park
- Built urban microparks
- Restored Rachel de Queiroz Park, the second largest public green space in the city, by improving groundwater infiltration, restoring vegetation and existing wetlands and building constructed wetlands
- Connected households in vulnerable neighborhoods to the sewage system
- Instituted a recycling incentive system to improve solid waste management
- Improved the public data inventory to direct services towards residents in need
- Created the Environmental and Health Education Plan, which provides environmental and health education programming to raise awareness about sanitation and waste system reforms
The Impact
- Increased public awareness about the new recycling collection system and sewage connections
- Increased the number of residents following proper waste disposal protocols and receiving benefits from recycling collection
- Reduced deficiencies in the sanitation systems via new sewage network connections
- Revegetated green spaces in the 14 neighborhoods Rachel de Queiroz Park crosses, impacting 284,437 people
- Helps naturally manage flooding and stormwater from extreme weather events via the infiltration system and constructed wetlands
- Provides an ecological method to remove pollutants, cleaning the city’s waterways
- Improved residents’ stewardship and sense of pride in their public spaces
