Acari River and River Paraba Do Sul Developments - Assignment Example

? Comparison of Acari River and River Paraiba do Sul developments for Rio de Janeiro tourist attraction Grade (November 8th, 2013) Comparison of Acari River and River Paraiba do Sul developments for Rio de Janeiro tourist attraction Rio de Janeiro is the most popular of the Brazilian cities, which was named as such in 1502, by European Portugal explorers, who were amazed by the entry to an enormous river, which was surrounded by spectacular mountains and a spectacular harbor, thus naming the region "January River," or Rio de Janeiro (Krystek, 2012 n.p.). Therefore, the origin of this city is traceable to tourism and exploration, which was rewarded through spectacular natural scenery that is rare to find anywhere else in the world. The Rio de Janeiro remains a city that is well defined by natural wonders, which include rivers, mountains and beaches (Ades, 2004 p317). However, there are hundreds of rivers that cut across the Rio de Janeiro state, most of them having cities, towns and settlements developed along their banks. Therefore, natural resources, and most especially rivers, are vital components of the economy and the life of Rio de Janeiro (Canadian Tourism Commission, 2013 p12). Among the popular rivers that cut right across the city of Rio de Janeiro are the Acari River and River Paraiba do Sul, which constitute vital resources for the city (De Vries & Reilly, 2011 p21). However, the potential of these two rivers is yet to be completely tapped, and especially in regards to water-based tourism, which is evidently possible and attractive in these rivers. Thus, any development and rehabilitation of the two rivers that is targeted towards this objective is sure to deliver positive results, a major reason that informs the recommendation for the development of the two rivers for this purpose. The Acari River flows in the South eastern side of Brazil, through the Rio de Janeiro state, forming one of the major water-courses that supply the city of Rio de Janeiro (Room, 1997 p311). The river cuts across the city of Rio de Janeiro from the western side, and it separates this city from the city of Duque de Caxias (Room, 1997 p303). The most significant aspect about the strategic positioning of this River is that; it separates the most populous City in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area, which is the City of Rio de Janeiro, from the third most populous city in the region, which is the city of Duque de Caxias (Ades, 2004 p322). This fact is especially significant, considering the number of people who can be able to access and subscribe to the tourist activities established in this river, should the river be rehabilitated and developed for water-based tourism, are high. The other fundamental characteristic of the Acari River, which makes it most suitable for development for the purposes of water-based tourism, is the fact that the Acari River is navigable (De Vries & Reilly, 2011 p32). The river traverses across regions that are well endowed for boat and canoe riding, thus making it a suitable river for developing towards these purposes. Additionally, the Acari River is not silted up; therefore it presents no danger of derailing the riding of canoes and boats used for water-based tourism explorations (Krystek, 2012 n.p.). The Acari River has a very large flow of water, meaning that it is a river that can be rehabilitated for the purpose of water-based tourism, since it can manage to sustain and supply the flow of water required for this purpose throughout all seasons. The vegetation along the regions of interface between the river and the land surface also suffices the need for soil conservation purposes, by ensuring that no soil from the land masses can directly cause the siltation of the river, while also preventing soil erosion, because it enhances the filtration process (Ades, 2004 p319). The river also possess several species of fish, especially on the upper side that is before the section where the Acari River joins the cities, making it even more viable for water-based tourism, which has fishing as one of the major components. The river has also been widely used for transport, through crossing from the side of the city of Rio de Janeiro, to the other side of city of Duque de Caxias (Room, 1997 p307). Therefore, it is apparent that the development of the Acari River for the purpose of enhancing tourism in the city of Rio de Janeiro is a project worth investing. The Paraiba do Sul, on the other hand, is the most famous river in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area, cutting through the South-East side of Brazil (Krystek, 2012 n.p.). It is a river that flows for a considerable long distance, flowing through 1,137 kilometers from its source, with six tributaries feeding the river starting from its source, down to the last section where it becomes a single flowing river. The Paraiba do Sul River cuts across three states, ranking it among the longest flowing river in Brazil (Canadian Tourism Commission, 2013 p7). The need to develop this river for the purpose of increasing tourism to the City of Rio de Janeiro is informed by the fact that, the river has two major sections that are comfortably navigable, being a section on the lower side of the river running for estimated 90 kilometers, as well as another section on the upper side, which runs for an estimated 280 kilometers (Room, 1997 p317). The fact that the river is navigable provides the essence for rehabilitating the river for tourism purposes, since it will support water-based tourism, without the fear of causing any major threat to the participants. The regions where the Paraiba do Sul River is not navigable neither poses any challenge nor cause any reason for failing to undertake the rehabilitation and the development program, because such regions consists of other natural scenery that are prime tourist attractions, such as waterfalls and rapids (Ades, 2004 p331). The water velocity and the turbulence of such regions is a sure attraction to people whose major interest is water-based explorations. The other factors that make the Paraiba do Sul River prime for rehabilitation and development for the purpose of water-based tourism is the proximity of the river to various facilities such a highway, a railway and several cities that are located on its banks (De Vries & Reilly, 2011 p27). All these factors combine to make the rehabilitation and development of the Paraiba do Sul River a viable investment project, which has a high potential of increasing tourism in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. References Ades, H. (2004). The rough guide to South America. London. [England], Rough Guides.pp 317-340. Canadian Tourism Commission. (2013). Global Tourism Watch 2012 Brazil Summary Report. pp1-21. De Vries, A., & Reilly, J. (2011). Frommer's Rio de Janeiro day by day. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley Pub. pp 21-33. Krystek, L. (2012). Seven Wonders of the Natural World: The Harbor at Rio de Janeiro. Retrieved: November 7, 2013. From http://www.unmuseum.org/7wonders/rio.htm Room, A. (1997). Placenames of the world: origins and meanings of the names for over 5000 natural features, countries, capitals, territories, cities and historic sights. Jefferson, NC, McFarland. pp 303-314. Read More