CILSJ

The Consórcio Intermunicipal Lagos - São João (CILSJ) is a inter-municipal non-profit watershed-based environmental agency established in 1999. For over 3 years, the CILSJ has been working with municipalities, Rio de Janeiro State and Federal governments, companies and local communities to ensure the conservation, restoration and responsible management of our water, land, sea and biodiversity through programs that balance human, environmental and economic needs. CILSJ is comitted to improving environment for the present and next generations.

Similarly to Conservation Autorities in Canada and USA, our organization operates under the direction of a board comprised of local municipalities, companies, NGOs (Non Governamental Organizations) and the Environmental State Secretariat of Rio de Janeiro representatives. There are currently 12 municipalities (Armação dos Búzios, Araruama, Arraial do Cabo, Cabo Frio, Cachoeiras de Macacú, Casimiro de Abreu, Iguaba Grande, Rio Bonito, Rio das Ostras, São Pedro da Aldeia, Saquarema and Silva Jardim), 5 companies and more than fifty NGOs which are part of our organization. The NGOs have two representatives on the Board.

The CILSJ is not a regulatory or licensing organization, and has no legal or policy basis to regulate resource use in any of the jurisdictions. However, the CILSJ may influence regulatory decisions in a number of ways:

· By providing factual material, such as aquatic ecosystem reports, to inform development decision makers.
· By participating in and influencing pre or post regulatory processes, such as planning, regional or environmental impact assessment processes;
· Managing the water resources in a manner consistent with the maintenance of the ecological integrity of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems;
· Managing the use of the water resources in a sustainable manner for present and future generations;
· Providing for early and effective consultation, notification and sharing of information on developments and activities that might affect the ecological integrity of the aquatic ecosystem;