en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Court of Auditors of Minas Gerais (TCE-MG), in partnership with the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), has launched the "Pampulha Mission Project," with an investment of R$27 million over three years, aiming to find solutions for the environmental restoration of the Pampulha Lake basin in Belo Horizonte. The project was officially launched this Monday (13th) during an event attended by authorities, civil servants, researchers, and students.

During the research period, a professional team from various fields at UFMG will carry out 58 activities, including experts from the Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (DESA), the Department of Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering (EHR), the Institute of Biological Sciences (ICB), the Institute of Geosciences (IGC), and the School of Architecture. The project will mobilize approximately 343 researchers from different backgrounds, including 120 researchers. Research activities include continuous monitoring of lake water quality, involving depth, sediment analysis, gas and odor measurements, biodiversity studies, and health risk assessments.

According to TCE-MG, the joint action aims to establish a governance and management system for the sustainability of water resources in the basin. In a statement, the agency noted that the agreement includes a Governance Committee (CG) and an Integrated Management Committee (CGI) as collaborative action bodies and will promote a study investigating the causes of pollution and its impact on the lake. TCE-MG President Duval Ângelo stated that the model emphasizes inter-institutional cooperation and uses science as the basis for political action, potentially serving as a reference for other regions and public policies. UFMG Rector Professor Alexandre Fernandes Moreira pointed out that, according to the Times Higher Education ranking, UFMG is one of the universities in South America with the greatest environmental impact.

The initiative responds to an operational audit conducted by TCE-MG, which assessed restoration actions from a multi-level governance perspective and made recommendations for institutional coordination and public policy monitoring. The diagnosis of the Pampulha basin and lake is included in a work plan signed by the state of Minas Gerais, the municipalities of Belo Horizonte and Contagem in the metropolitan region, the Minas Gerais Sanitation Company (Copasa), and TCE-MG.

After being declared a cultural heritage site at the state, federal, and municipal levels, Pampulha Lake will celebrate its 10th anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2026. The basin covers an area of 96 square kilometers, spanning Belo Horizonte and Contagem, with hundreds of springs, affecting approximately 460,000 people, and has long faced challenges of urban expansion, environmental degradation, and pollution.