Brazil

Joint Country Entry Study

Despite possessing the world's largest freshwater reserves, Brazil experiences significant water stress, which is expected to worsen with climate change.

The UK Government's Just Transitions for Water Security (JTWS) aims to support better water management in the face of climate change.

The programme provides this support through three initiatives. Brazil is one of five countries where these initiatives intend to jointly engage stakeholders from government, financial sectors, corporate and supply chain, as well as civil society.

  • WRT is a tool and diagnostic guide which supports the understanding and enhancement of water resilience in national climate plans. WRT is currently actively engaged in Brazil.

    This work involved application of the Water Resilience Tracker Tool for National Climate Planning - developed by Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA). Key partners included The National Agency for Water and Sanitation (ANA) and the Strategic Center of Excellence in Water and Drought Policies (CEPAS) at the Federal University of Cera.

    WRT has recently launched Phase 2 of the work, which will engage in Basin Plan Development in six basins. This work provides a good basis for further engagement going forwards and potentially a building block for the other initiatives both technically and through building on the stakeholder relationships with ANA, MMA, CEPAS, the Ministry of Environment (MMA) and others.

  • Launched at COP26, FWF is a partnership between government, the private sector, financial institutions and civil society that aims to 'harness the power of trade, enterprise, and communities, to help deliver sustainable water and sanitation for all by 2030'.

    Brazil is not currently a signatory to the FWF Declaration. FWF is looking to work with Brazil towards signing the FWF Declaration. This may be at country level - with National Government signing up but could also be targeting key businesses and other sector organisations based in country or active there.

  • RWA works to design and develop replicable investment models that channel private and commercial finance to strengthen water security and climate resilience.

    In Brazil, RWA is exploring the prospects of driving water investment in several economic sectors, including agriculture, energy, and technology.

Key opportunities for JTWS in Brazil

Read our full analysis of the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors shaping water security in Brazil in our Joint Country Entry Study.

    • Engage with federal and state government to create bankable water projects.

    • Support the maturation of institutional capability across federal and state government.

    • Target water management solutions in urban areas, north Brazil and productive/trade zone, prioritising drought resilience and flood mitigation.

    • Strengthen engagement with local communities and stakeholders through existing groups to understand and address water challenges, and by supporting data-driven, inclusive interventions.

    • Support cross border water resilience in La Plata basin by strengthening frameworks and practices, and stakeholder working groups, while implementing corporate water stewardship models.

    • Support cross border cooperation on water efficiency and water use (particularly the Guarani Aquifer).

    • Assess the impact of existing arrangements, track the effectiveness of water laws, and create a case for change where needed (particularly the regions with virtual water import dependence

    • Align water and climate strategies and adopt an integrated approach to water projects (considering climate, energy, health etc).

    • Invest in enhancing water resilience through engineered and naturebased solutions (e.g. flood protection, reforestation, mangroves) and support forest and ecosystem protection.

    • Invest in tools and frameworks to assess, track and forecast risks to water security.

    • Support targeted interventions in regions where high water stress and export overlap.

    • Invest in tools to monitor, track and assess water sources and usage across Brazil and to monitor compliance with regulation and permits.

    • Improve data collection, storage and communication across federal and state governments.

    • Develop benchmarks and metrics for key industries across Brazil.

    • Work with federal and local government to implement measures that promote sustainable water practices (in both use and discharge of water) and track water footprint for key water users and industries (including mining).

    • Use reforms in legislation to promote socio-economic equity and expand water pricing.

    • Develop tools to promote and encourage private investment in water management solutions.

  • Use blended public/private financing to promote small/medium scale WASH and NBS projects - particularly in areas that are under served, experiencing water stress, and/or key agricultural areas.

    Promote efficiency campaigns across Brazil - particularly in areas experiencing high water stress

    Better understand the condition and compliance of WASH facilities across Brazil and use this to guide investment decision-making.

    Map water resilience gains from decentralised programs for wider policy uptake.