Brazil government signs R$123.6 million contract to ensure navigation on Madeira River

The Federal Government has signed a R$123.6 million contract for continuous maintenance dredging on the Madeira River. The agreement (No. 323/2026) was published in Brazil’s Official Gazette on May 20 and will remain in force until November 2029. The initiative aims to ensure navigability during dry seasons and maintain the supply of goods to cities across the Amazon region.

The dredging work will be carried out along the Madeira River waterway (HN-117), between Porto Velho, Rondônia, and the river’s mouth in Amazonas state, including the BR-230 crossing. The project is intended to maintain navigation conditions, improve river transport safety, support the movement of people, supply riverside communities, and facilitate the distribution of essential goods to Indigenous peoples and populations living along the waterway.

According to Otto Luiz Burlier, National Secretary for Waterways and Navigation, the initiative reinforces the government’s preventive approach to its waterway policy in the region.

“We are strengthening a management model that anticipates challenges and reduces the impacts of hydrological fluctuations. Continuous dredging and waterway monitoring are essential to ensure navigation safety and the regular supply of Amazonian cities,” he said.

Maintenance dredging removes sediment accumulated on the riverbed, preserves the depth of the navigation channel, and enhances vessel safety. The project is part of the Amazon Waterway Dredging and Maintenance Plan (Padma), coordinated by the Ministry of Ports and Airports in partnership with the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT).

Amazon Waterways

Following the severe droughts of recent years, the Federal Government has intensified long-term investments in Amazon waterway infrastructure, including advanced dredging planning, waterway maintenance, improved navigational signaling, and continuous monitoring of navigation conditions on key rivers in northern Brazil.

The Madeira River plays a strategic role in passenger transportation, the supply of goods to cities and riverside communities, and the distribution of agricultural production from northern and central-western Brazil. It also connects inland waterways to ports across the Amazon region.

In 2023 and 2024, low water levels caused navigation restrictions at critical points along the waterway. At times, vessels were forced to reduce cargo loads, hindering the transport of fuel, food, and other essential supplies.

Although current hydrological conditions are more favorable, with the river level at approximately 10.37 meters in Porto Velho—considered normal for this time of year according to the Secretariat’s Waterway Monitoring Panel—the government is maintaining preventive measures to improve navigation safety and increase predictability for river transport. During the same period, water levels were approximately 8.5 meters in 2024 and 7.5 meters in 2023.

“The Federal Government’s strategy is to act continuously and preventively, ensuring that Amazon waterways remain safe for navigation even during drought periods, while providing greater predictability for cargo transportation and the supply of essential goods to the population,” said Eliezé Bulhões, Director of Waterway Management.

Source: Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPOR)

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