Brazil city district slipping into sea after river diverted

By DIARLEI RODRIGUES and MARCELO SILVA DE SOUSA

SAO JOAO DA BARRA, Brazil (AP) — Over the past half century, the Atlantic Ocean has been slowly and relentlessly consuming Atafona, part of the Sao Joao da Barra municipality that is 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Rio de Janeiro’s capital and home to 36,000 people. The sea’s average position moves some five meters (16 feet) inland every year. Due to climate change, there is little hope for a solution. The Paraiba do Sul River, which originates in neighboring Sao Paulo state, brings sediment and sand to Atafona where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Its flow was mostly diverted in the 1950s to provide water to the growing capital.