Brazil is the country with the largest freshwater reserves in the world, with 12% of total resources, thanks to the fact that half of the Amazon River basin belongs to its territory.Despite this, these resources are very unevenly distributed, with large arid or semi-arid regions facing the challenge of ensuring stable access to freshwater for their populations. It is estimated that only 84.2% of Brazilians have access to the water network and 55% have access to the sewage and wastewater network.For this reason, improving water resources management has become one of the priority development axes for the Brazilian government and there are many opportunities for the development of projects.
Brazil
The National Water Agency (ANA) has the legal authority to implement the National Water Resources Management System (SINGREH), created to ensure the sustainable use of our rivers and lakes for current and future generations. This involves regulating water use through the mechanisms established by Law No. 9,433 of 1997, including: granting permits to regulate the use of water bodies, both for water collection and effluent discharge; oversight, to ensure that permits are effectively respected and not mere notarial formalities; and charging for water use, to ensure that water bodies are used sparingly, in addition to enabling the generation of the financial resources necessary for the recovery and conservation of rivers and lakes.
The National Water Resources Council (CNRH) is a collegiate advisory and deliberative body that is part of the National Water Resources Management System (SINGREH), created by Law No. 9,433 of January 8, 1997, as amended by Laws No. 9, 984/2000 and 12,334/2010. Regulated by Decree No. 11,960, dated March 21, 2024, and composed of 50 (fifty) members representing the Federal Government (Ministries), State and District Water Resources Councils, User Sectors, and Civil Organizations
Among these actions, it is worth highlighting the work of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply, through the Secretariat of Agricultural and Livestock Health (SDA), which is responsible for government actions ranging from animal and plant health to the quality and identity of agricultural inputs and products, derivatives, and by-products of animal and plant origin.Sanitary, phytosanitary, regulatory compliance, and quality guarantees for these products and foods are part of the different stages of international trade, which is why the Brazilian government can establish these guarantees as requirements for imports or, in the case of exports, comply with them at the request of more than 180 countries. In this regard, National Agricultural and Livestock Health plays a crucial role in the negotiation, verification, and enforcement of these guarantees.
Brazil's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is composed of the Office of the Minister, the Executive Secretariat, the National Secretariat of Biodiversity, Forests and Animal Rights, the National Secretariat of Urban Environment and Environmental Quality, the National Secretariat of Climate Change, the National Secretariat of Traditional Peoples and Communities and Sustainable Rural Development, the Extraordinary Secretariat of Deforestation Control and Territorial Environmental Management and finally the National Secretariat of Bioeconomy.
The Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA) is responsible, at the federal level, for proposing and implementing public policies related to agrarian reform, the promotion of sustainable development and the strengthening of the rural sector formed by family farmers. Its actions are aimed at combating rural poverty, food security and sovereignty, the sustainability of production systems and the generation and aggregation of value.The Family Farming Department of the Ministry of Agrarian Development - SAF/MDA has the mission of consolidating family farming to promote sustainable local development, favoring human and political negotiation with representatives of society, respecting the will and wishes of social organizations and practicing, with responsibility, the principles of decentralization, democracy, transparency and partnership. The SAF's guiding principle is to act in a participatory, decentralized and coordinated manner with the states, municipalities and civil society.The Special Advisory Office on Gender, Race and Ethnicity (AEGRE) of the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA) acts in the development of public policies that seek to promote the economic rights of rural workers and quilombola communities, through support for production, access and guaranteed use of land and citizenship, including access to civil documentation, participation and social control.
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This ministry has the National Water Security Secretariat, which is responsible for leading the process of formulation, review, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the National Water Security Policy, the National Water Resources Policy and its instruments, including the National Water Resources Plan. The objective of these actions is to ensure water supply, providing greater health and comfort to the population, generating employment and increasing the population's income, contributing to the reduction of regional inequalities. The MDR also works to coordinate and support the revitalization of watersheds and the implementation of water access actions, using environmentally sustainable technologies.
In response to the various demands for water resources and to conflicts that could be generated or enhanced around the water issue, the Federal Constitution of 1988 envisaged the organization of the National Water Resources Management System (SINGREH). A set of legal and administrative mechanisms, the System aims to coordinate the integrated management of water resources and to implement, in a participatory manner, the National Water Resources Policy - established by the Water Law (Law No. 9,433/1997).The following are part of SINGREH: the National Water Resources Council (CNRH); the National Water Agency (ANA); the provincial water resources councils; the river basin committees; the federal, provincial and municipal institutions responsible for water resources management; and the water agencies. See below the organization of the National Water Resources Management System and the provincial systems.
It emphasizes the participation of communities in the development of water resources through the "Citizens for Water" Movement and the preparation and dissemination of publications and information brochures for schoolchildren.
The functioning of the committees, in operational terms, is precarious in some cases
• The exercise of representation suffers from asymmetries at the level of organization of the different segments and sectors.
• The recognition of the committees by society is low, which limits their capacity for political action.
• The knowledge that the Management System has of its own institutions is deficient
• The implementation of management tools under the administration of Committees is slow and ineffective
Founded in August 1996, ABCON - Associação Brasileira das Concessiónarias Privadas dos Serviços Públicos de Água e Esgoto, brings together private concessionaires that provide water and sewage services.
Total or partial concessionaires, in each municipality, account for 15% of the population (32.5 million people) and are present in 7% of the municipalities.
It is responsible for water supply, wastewater collection and treatment in 372 municipalities in the state of São Paulo. The company operates in the residential, commercial, public and industrial segments, and also provides wholesale water service to three other cities in the state. Sabesp was established in 1973 and although 50.3% of its shares are owned by the government, it plans to privatize the company within a maximum of two years.
It provides water and wastewater collection and treatment services under long-term contracts. The state-owned company operates in 345 municipalities in the state of Paraná and in one municipality in the state of Santa Catarina.
Copasa, together with its subsidiary Copanor, is responsible for basic sanitation in the municipalities of the state of Minas Gerais. The company operates in 640 municipalities with water concessions.
The challenge is to integrate, into a single portfolio, the various public policies on urban infrastructure and the promotion of regional and productive development. It brings together initiatives that were under the responsibility of the former Ministries of Cities (MCid) and National Integration (MI), with adjustments to optimize the administration of programs, resources, and financing.
Institutional Framework
Regulatory framework
The main goal is to universalize sanitation services in the country, and for 99% of the population to have drinking water, and 90% of water collection and treatment services, by the year 2033. To achieve this, this new legal framework It aims to reinforce the legal security of the sector, increase the transparency, efficiency and effectiveness of the provision of services and, above all, create the necessary conditions to increase the participation of the private sector in sanitation projects.
It is based on the conception of domain and public intervention in the management of water resources, where the action of the Public Power seeks to allow social management of the resource through participatory and integrated management among the various user sectors of society.
This defines the regulatory framework governing public procurement in the country and stipulates, in Article 37, that the procurement of public goods and services must be carried out through bidding processes, unless otherwise provided by law. Starting in April 2023, this will be the sole regulatory framework in force in Brazil, and one of its new features is that it will no longer require business consortia to be led by a Brazilian company.
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The National Water Resources Plan (PNRH) is the governing document for the implementation of the National Water Resources Policy and the performance of the National Water Resources Management System (SINGREH), made up of institutions at the federal, State and Federal District. and the basins. It is a strategic instrument to coordinate actions at the three scales of water resources management. It is the responsibility of the National Water Resources Council (CNRH) to monitor the execution and approve the PNRH, as well as promote articulation between national, regional, and state planning. and water user sectors. Within the CNRH, the Technical Chamber of Planning and Articulation (CTPA) has the function of monitoring, analyzing and giving an opinion on the National Plan, its implementation and its reviews.
It is composed of the national water resources policy, the national water resources management system.
Updates the legal framework for basic sanitation and amends Law No. 9,984 of July 17, 2000, to grant the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA) the power to issue reference standards on sanitation services.
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Policy Framework for Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (MPPI), which comprises the set of social policy studies that will be adopted and implemented during the execution phase of Interáguas.
The Brazilian government program aims to promote sustainable economic development in rural areas through the promotion and adoption of soil and water conservation practices.
The US$69.4 million financing agreement for the implementation of the +Mogi Ecotietê Program was signed by the Mayor's Office and the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) – Development Bank of Latin America. The project includes urban mobility, environmental, and basic sanitation works to be carried out in the eastern part of the city, between the Nova Mogilar neighborhoods and the César de Souza district.
Law No. 12,873 establishes a series of measures and amendments in various areas. It authorizes the National Supply Company (CONAB) to use the Differentiated Public Procurement Regime (RDC) for the renovation, modernization, expansion, or construction of storage units. It amends laws related to social security, labor, land funds, agrarian reform, the Cisterns Program, among others. It establishes the Program for Strengthening Private Philanthropic Entities and Non-Profit Entities operating in the health sector (PROSUS). It also addresses other issues such as contracts, debts, electricity, phytosanitary or zoosanitary emergencies, among others.
Normative Instruction No. 139 of the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform of Brazil (INCRA) establishes the operational and administrative procedures for granting, monitoring, and supervising the types of Housing Credit and Housing Reform regulated by Decree 11.586/2023. It modifies the percentages of housing credit installments, with 70% in the first installment and 30% in the second installment. The credit limit is up to R$75,000 per beneficiary family unit.
Law No. 8,171 of 1991 establishes the foundations, objectives, and actions of agricultural policy in Brazil. It covers aspects such as production, marketing, supply, rural credit, agricultural insurance, environmental protection, technical assistance, and mechanization. It defines the responsibilities of the government and establishes mechanisms to support the Brazilian agricultural sector.
The National Policy to Combat Desertification and Mitigate the Effects of Drought in Brazil is a comprehensive initiative that addresses multiple aspects related to desertification, land degradation, and drought mitigation. It establishes objectives to prevent and combat desertification, restore degraded areas, and promote the sustainable use of natural resources. The policy includes measures for scientific research, environmental education, integrated water resource management, and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. It also provides for the creation of a National Commission to Combat Desertification to oversee its implementation.
The Agriculture Strategy focuses on adapting the agricultural sector to the effects of climate change. Developed in coordination with entities such as MAPA, Embrapa, and Inmet, the strategy seeks to strengthen the Low Carbon Agriculture Program (ABC) by providing access to climate information and technologies that enable the agricultural sector to improve its resilience. The main objectives include analyzing vulnerabilities, promoting technology transfer, and fostering sustainability in production systems. To mitigate these risks, the program proposes several actions, including the development of the Agricultural Climate Intelligence Center and an Agricultural Risk Monitoring System, which will facilitate planning and adaptation to climate change. The guidelines also highlight the importance of integrated policies that support crop diversification, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable use of water resources, as well as the need to adapt agricultural infrastructure to ensure the continuity of production and food security in the country.
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The Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Brazil's Agricultural and Livestock Sector is a policy instrument that establishes four fundamental adaptation initiatives: Research, Development, and Innovation; Technical Assistance and Rural Extension; Public Policy; and Industry, Trade, and Markets. It is based on a Conceptual Framework that considers six strategic axes, three direct ones related to agricultural management (Genetic Improvement, Technological Products and Practices, and Integrated Systems) and three indirect ones (Climate Forecasting and Territorial Zoning, Financing and Public Policies, and Socioeconomic and Environmental Performance). The strategy is aligned with the ABC+ Plan and other national programs, providing specific indicators to monitor progress in the Brazilian agricultural sector's adaptation to climate change.
Economic and trade office of the Spanish embassy in Brasilia. Water and sanitation management
Water resources management and basin committees in Brazil
The National Water Resources Plan
Legal bases of water management in Brazil
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According to the latest data from the Brazilian Water System (Sistema de Hidrotecnologia de Aguas de Brazil, S.A.), the Brazilian government is currently working to improve water resources management. According to the latest data from Brazil's National Sanitation Information System (SNIS) for 2020, the country has a notable deficit in sanitation services. The Brazilian household water supply rate is 84%, the sanitary sewerage rate stands at 55% and only 51% of wastewater is treated.