Federations say they will monitor water pollution

In this Oct. 23, 2013 photo, a man works on the reforestation of mangrove forests along Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rio’s Olympic committee has pledged in writing that the pollution problems will be fixed, and many had hoped the Olympics would force authorities to tackle decades of neglect and poor planning that have blighted waterways. Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympic Games.

In this Oct. 23, 2013 photo, biologist Mario Moscatelli takes photographs from trash floating on the polluted waters of the Canal do Fundao in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Moscatelli, who oversees the reforestation of mangrove forests along the bay, said he fears that even if the bay is cleaned up, the state will let it deteriorate after all the athletes have gone home. Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympic Games.

A polluted channel runs through the Rio das Pedras shantytown in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013. It’s not clear what consequences there might be if Rio doesn’t clean up its waterways, but this isn’t the first time the Olympics have faced steep environmental challenges.

In this Oct. 23, 2013 photo, trash litters a forested area on the shores of Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Unless Brazil makes headway in cleaning up its waters, experts warn the games could pose health risks to athletes going for the gold and mar what officials hope will be their global showcase event. Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympic Games.