Acknowledgments
SUDENE – the Superintendency for the Development of the Northeast of Brazil with the cooperation of ORSTOM – the French Government Agency for Technical Cooperation Overseas (now, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement- IRD), was responsible for implementing the program of Representative and Experimental Basins in the region beginning in the decade of 1970. Pierre Audry, Eric Cadier, Jean Leprun and Michel Molinier, hydrologists and soil scientists from France played key roles in the selection of site, installation of experimental units and beginning the operation of the EBS. Beronildo Freitas was the engineer from SUDENE responsible for technical coordination and administration. The contributions of other researchers and technical people have been listed by Srinivasan and Galvão (2003). The installation of the research catchment at São João de Cariri had the valuable collaboration of GTZ, the cooperation
Agency of the Government of Germany. Dr. Ing Ubald Koch was responsible for getting all the
equipment, installing them and conducting research work along with the members of the Hydrology Research Group of the Federal Universities of Paraiba and Campina Grande. Late prof. Manoel Gilberto de Barros efficiently coordinated the field work. Eduardo Figueiredo, Celso Santos and Ricardo Aragão have made note worthy contributions. The Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil has provided the bulk of the financial support needed for the operation of the basins, through its main funding agencies of CNPq (National Council for Development of Science and Technology) and FINEP (Agency for Financing Research Studies and Projects).