The case of Chapada do Araripe

This report is one of the fruits of a collaborative effort between Conectas Direitos Humanos, Instituto Maíra, the International Accountability Project (IAP) and the Semiarid Renewable Energy Committee (CERSA, Comitê de Energia Renovável do Semiárido), which involved analyses of wind farms and the role of financial institutions from the perspective of the socio-environmental rights of local communities. Technicians and consultants from these organizations made visits to the Chapada do Araripe region between January 2020 and October 2022.

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In the first part of this paper, we will present further context of trends in the wind energy sector in Brazil, the role of BNDES and the performance of the holding company Casa dos Ventos. The second part will offer a brief profile of the Araripe III and IV Complexes. The third part will offer characteristics of wind farm planning, environmental licensing and implementation processes in terms of socio-environmental risk management and the rights of local communities, particularly quilombola communities and family farmers. In the fourth part, we will analyze the effectiveness of safeguard systems in the face of issues identified by project financiers, with emphasis on BNDES and NDB. The final part offers conclusions and recommendations from the present study.