Pedro Oliva – The Waterfalls project

The Waterfalls project is all about understanding the role of waterfalls in their ecosystems. Water data is collected with scientific equipment, and uniquely a kayak is used as a data collection platform while Pedro Oliva, extreme white water kayak adventurer, acts as a conduit between science and society.

A person in a kayak goes over the edge and starts to descend on a large waterfall.

Pedro and a team of scientists from several different universities and research institutes worked out ways to engage with the villagers along the 1,100 km (684 miles) stretch of river that Pedro paddled. Schools along the way held thematic days to raise awareness of the importance of the river, the waterfalls and the water that continually flows past them. The excited school children spent days waiting for Pedro to reach their village and come and see their work.

The study and its results are now being presented in a permanent exhibition at a museum in São Paulo for more children to share the adventure and learn from it. Societal factors have a big influence on the health of the river and ecosystem services. Over time, a gap has emerged between scientific knowledge and societies' perceptions of ecosystem services. A major part of Pedro's kayak expedition was to get people together to exchange scientific knowledge and local perceptions, between the scientists and the communities.

A close up image of Pedro Oliva kayaking in the water with hot lava in the background.

Pedro shared his unique perspective of the Paraiba do Sul catchment, shaped through the time he spent on the river. The scientists shared their preliminary evaluation of the local ecohydrological processes based on the data collected. The communities shared their local knowledge and perceptions, and were inspired to reflect upon how their activities impact the river and the communities downstream. The strategy to engage with the societies along the river included social cartography, collating local community histories related to water resources, presentations to high school students, and kayaking workshops for kids to teach them basic skills and encourage a healthy lifestyle through sport.

“My passion is to work with projects related to the environment, sport, science and society.”