the lagoa de jacarepaguá is situated in the booming neighborhood of barra da tijuca in the zone oeste (west zone) of rio de janeiro. the name alludes to the large number of jacarés, or native caiman alligators, who once lived in these waters.

the recent population growth in the region along with the urban development have caused significant environmental changes. as such a number of grand structures have been built on the banks of the lagoon, including the parque olimpico do barra - venue of the 2016 rio olympic games, and the prominent barra shopping is located in close proximity.

while these developments have added immensely to the profile of the neighborhood and the city of rio as a whole, they have had a detrimental effect on the ecosystems of the lagoon, leading to pollution and a dramatic reduction in wildlife. nowadays the lagoon is not suitable for swimming, fishing or watersports.

clean up and conservation efforts are underway and the instituo estudal do ambiente (state institute for the environement) inea is in charge of closely monitoring water quality in the lagoa de jacarepaguá and the surraounding lagoons of lagoa da tijuca and lagoa de marapendi.