Society
In expanding its vision about the way to think, manage and do business, Hydria seeks each day to internalize sustainability practices, which include the enhancement of the human being with actions aimed at improving the education, culture, health and the infrastructure of and for its employees. As an example, we have projects being implemented or already implemented in the plants, such as the outdoor gym, the corporate library, the internet room and the TV room for women.
We believe that the social and environmental variables require an engagement of leaders and employees through the alignment of personal values with the values of the company, a fact that requires effort for a change of behavior. One of the instruments adopted by Hydria to assist in this change is the Storytelling project with socio-environmental issues, by which the employee connects and absorbs our culture more effectively.
Consumers, shareholders, investors and financial institutions demand high standards of sustainability in businesses. Thus, to Hydria, sustainability is not a fashion trend or a marketing tool, it is a systemic vision of commitment in the long term.
Health and Safety
We are committed to health and safety in all phases of our activities. In our work, we consider the community, diversity, equality, human respect, fair and just work practices, the environment and quality of life. Our commitment can be summarized as:
- Acting preventively, directing paths that provide safety and reliability to the processes;
- Identifying, managing, eliminating and/or minimizing the significant risks to the health and safety of our employees, service providers and the public in general;
- Working in accordance with the laws and regulations applicable to the health and safety of the workers;
- Maintaining continuous improvement, eliminating material, managerial or personal losses.
The Environment
Hydria believes in the constant improvement of working conditions and the environment, the rational and sustainable use of natural resources, seeking benefits for all generations, adequately supplying the demand of our product. In recognizing that the people and the environment in which the company operates constitute its greatest wealth and, thus, must have priority treatment in our Integrated Management Policy, Hydria commits to:
- Act in the improvement of the working conditions and the environment, with the prevention of environmental pollution and with preventive measures in respect to the local biodiversity, injuries and occupational illnesses. Act in enhancing knowledge, improving technological processes, ensuring the rational use of natural resources and the effective control of occupational hazards and environmental aspects;
- Comply with the applicable legal requirements and other commitments voluntarily made by the organization relating to environmental issues and health and safety in the workplace;
Protect the wildlife
Birds, mammal species and fish are monitored in campaigns sponsored by Hydria and confirm the harmonic coexistence between the Small Hydro Plants and the environment.
The birds at the Alto Juruena basin, where the Small Hydros Cidezal, Sapezal, Parecis, Rondon and Telegráfica are located, are quite diverse, with species that are typical from the Brazilian savanna (“Cerrado”) and the Amazon, which make up app. 300 registered species along the stretch of the Small Hydros. Among these species, the “tiê-bicudo” (Conothraupis Mesoleuca) stands out, as one of the least known birds in Brazil. This species was described in 1939 and was only rediscovered in 2003 in the Emas National Park in Minas Gerais, having been for decades without any records. With the studies in the area of direct influence performed during the installation and operation of the 5 Small Hydros, new records of this species were obtained, and their populations have been monitored along the areas of influence of the operating plants in the Juruena River.
The mammal specifies of medium and large sizes in the region of the area of influence of the Small Hydros Cidezal, Sapezal, Parecis, Rondon and Telegráfica are marked by the presence of rare species and indicators of environmental quality such as the jaguar “Onça-pintada” (Panthera onca), the “Tatu-canastra” (Priodontes maximus), the “Queixada” (Tayassu pecari), the giant anteater “Tamanduá Bandeira”(Myrmecophaga tridactyla), the maned wolf “Lobo-guará” (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and the tapir “Anta” (Tapirus terrestris). Another important characteristic of this fauna is that it can be considered as a transition fauna between the biomes of the Cerrado and the Amazon, where exclusive species of the Cerrado, such as the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), the “Raposinha-do-campo” (Lycalopex vetulus) and the “Mucura-de-orelhas-brancas” (Didelphis albiventris) occur geographically along with typical species from the Amazon, such as the “Tatu-quinze-quilos” (Daspypus beniensis) and the “Mucura-de-orelhas-pretas” (Didelphis marsupialis) that reach the Cerrado through “bridges” of forests formed by the thickets along the rivers and streams that enter the Cerrado in the region of the Alto Juruena Basin.
The Fish Monitoring Program aims to characterize the fish community present in the Juruena river along the area of direct and indirect influence of the Small Hydros Cidezal, Sapezal, Parecis, Rondon and Telegráfica, so that comparative standards for this community can be established (composition, abundance, stages of development) with the process of implementation and operation of the developments.
26 fish monitoring campaigns have been carried out since the start of the construction of 5 Small Hydros up to the current phase of operation of the plants, 10 of which in the installation phase and 16 in the current phase of operation. The results demonstrate that the taxonomic composition and biological attributes of the fish community is stabilized, which ensures the continuity of fisheries resources in the area of influence of the Small Hydros.
With the campaigns we observe that the fish fauna is not very rich due to the low rate of nutrients and high degree of acidity of the Juruena River, a natural feature of the water quality of this river. In the Small Hydros Cidezal, Sapezal and Parecis the most abundant species are: Pacu-borracha (Utiaritichthys esguiceroi) and Lambaris or piabas (Bryconamericus aff. Novae, Moenkhausia phaeonota, Moenkhausia sp. 1). In the region of influence of the Small Hydros Rondon and Telegráfica the most abundant species are: Lambaris or piabas (Bryconops sp. B, Jupiaba acanthogaster, Hyphessobrycon sp), Pacu-borracha (Utiaritichthys esguiceroi) and piau três pintas (Leporinus friderici).
Increasingly clean water
Up to now, Hydria has carried out 15 monitoring campaigns of water quality in the area of influence of the 5 Small Hydros. The maintenance of the water quality as Good and/or Great stands out in the results of the analysis, demonstrating that the environmental control measures used during the construction and operation of the Small Hydros maintained the water quality. The system is formed predominantly by acidic water, with low concentrations of nutrients.
Nature lives its own life
The Program of Recovery of Degraded Areas (PRAD) aims to recover the areas used in the construction period, such as deposits of gravel and clay, as well as the construction sites of the Small Hydros Cidezal, Sapezal, Parecis, Rondon and Telegráfica. The program consists of recovering the areas by planting native species of trees. The program of recovery of degraded areas is an important measure to ensure the protection of the biodiversity in the location of the plants.
The Waste Management Management aims to minimize the risk of contamination of soil and water bodies, in addition to the treatment and disposal of solid waste generated in the operation and maintenance of the Small Hydros Cidezal, Sapezal, Parecis, Rondon and Telegráfica. Its specific goals are to prioritize the reuse or recycling of waste; minimize the consumption of natural resources; minimize releases to the environment resulting from the activities; provide the proper disposal of residual waste; raise awareness among employees and others involved in the environmental issues. The program of solid waste is an ongoing program that ensures the continuance of the quality of water, soil and the health of workers in the area of influence of the 5 plants.
Ethics and Integrity
The values of a company must be the basis for its daily conduct and behavior. This code of conduct was not only made based on legal concepts but on our industry’s best practices and, most of all, on our own values. Therefore, whenever we face ethical issues or difficult decisions, we must conduct ourselves in accordance with our values and commitments detailed in this code.
