Toray

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Clean-water production on the island increased almost five-fold when the new plant opened in 2021.

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Islanders such as Antonio Jose da Silva (pictured) now have enough fresh water to grow their own vegetables.

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A breath-taking tropical archipelago with towering rock sculptures that loom over sweeping beaches and lush, turquoise waters teeming with marine life, Fernando de Noronha feels untouched by the rest of the world. 

The remote volcanic island chain sits out in the Atlantic Ocean some 220 miles (354 kilometers) off the northeastern coast of Brazil. Its protected status means only a limited number of people can set foot on its shores.

For those lucky enough to make the trip, this vibrant natural wilderness has everything. 

But until recently, the reality for those actually living on Fernando de Noronha was very different. Despite being surrounded by ocean, the 4,000 or so islanders struggled for year-round access to clean water. Existing infrastructure – which included a reservoir for collecting rainwater and another system for seawater desalination – was insufficient to meet demand, while droughts during the dry season hit other freshwater sources such as natural springs. 

“We often only had clean water once or twice a week, either through the island’s limited supplies or when it rained,” recalled Santiago Salazar, a local photographer who has lived on Fernando de Noronha for five years. 

Additional water was shipped in from the Brazilian mainland and rationed, so the islanders had to make it last.

“People would spend a lot of money on water storage tanks,” said Salazar. “Families in particular had to ensure they had enough storage capacity to cope when water was scarce, so could only do basic things like washing clothes on the day supplies came. It was hard and very stressful.”


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Problem in Paradise: Solving a Water Crisis