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).