Governance and Water Management Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil

Globalisation, Climate Change and Urban Governance

Oxford Brookes 9-11 March 2011

Pedro Roberto Jacobi prjacobi@usp.br Program in Environmental Science, PROCAM-USP

University of São Paulo

Issues

Water Governance – What is at stake?

Transformations of Water Policy in Brazil

Water Governance in Macro - Metropolitan São Paulo and Sustainable Urban Development

Environmental Stress – air pollution, pollution of waterways, the equation water quantity/water quality

Climate Change Prospects and Water Governance

Water Governance in Brazil

Reform of the Brazilian water resources management system began to take shape during the 1980s

The debate centered on: bring together social and technical sectors of the government

1997: National Water Law National Water Resources Policy and National Water Resources

Management System created

In 2000 - Broad institutional reform of the water resources sector consolidated by Law 9.984, which created the National Water Agency (ANA)

Main Principles of Policy

Descentralized management - level of river basin;

Integration of sectorial policies involved in water management;

Involvement of water users and Civil Society in decison making process;

Water as an economic good.

Process of Participation in Water Governance

National Water Resources Council

Water Resources Councils of the states and the Federal District

Catchments committees – 2011 -more than 160

Government agencies with attributes related to water resources management

Water agencies

São Paulo State Water Policy -1991State divided into 22 administrative catchment units

Established criteria for decentralised and participatory

management of water resources through watershed committees.

Metropolitan Region of São Paulo Alto Tietê River Basin

Water in MRSP- the context

Alto Tietê watershed, which supplies the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo

Considered as one of the most critical areas in terms of water availability;

Supply water demand to almost 20 million inhabitants;

50% of water is transferred from neighboring watersheds;

Sharp demographic growth and urbanization has led to severe problems of water pollution- demographic growth significantly reduced in last decade.

Metropolitan Region of São Paulo Alto Tietê River Basin

The area covered by the Alto Tiete basin is almost coterminous with the Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo. With a drainage area of 5,985 square kilometers (2.4 percent of the state's territory), the basin encompasses 35 of the 39 municipalities and 99.5 percent of the population of Greater Sao Paulo.

Population growth today: 1,2% /year

In 2010 the population is estimated in 19, 7 million.

Metropolitan Region of São Paulo Alto Tietê River Basin

Massive human occupation was accompanied by the large-scale construction of water infrastructure, including dams, pumping stations, canals, tunnels, and inter-basin transfers to and from neighboring basins.

Alto-Tiete basin is served by a complex hydraulic and hydrological system. Despite this extensive water infrastructure, the water availability of the region is still very low (201 m3-hab-an) and even lower than the semiarid regions of the Brazilian Northeast

Metropolitan Region of São Paulo Alto Tietê River Basin

Three key management issues to be addressed in the Alto Tiete basin:

Water quantity to supply a burgeoning population

Water quality which is deteriorating to a point where water availability for a range of uses is severely affected

Urban flood control and mitigation represents another major challenge in the basin.

Metropolitan Region of São Paulo Alto Tietê River Basin

Important achievements have been made over the past 15 years

Decentralization process - characterized by the creation of the Alto-Tiete committee and its subcommittees

Financing from the State Water Resources Fund

Need for: measurable physical results such as the improvement of water quality, rationalization of water use and reduction/control of floods

Water and Land Use Issues

Non reduction of floods and impacts on population indicate the lack of adequate land use planning and dialogue between water governance authorities and municipalities

Natural causes always prevail in authorities arguments

Existing infrastructure has become insufficient to control and mitigate

Increase of natural events and strength has become common

Lack of adequate disasters prevention policies

Delay in basic infrastructure to flood insecurity

Solutions Needed

Reduce erosion

Control garbage in waterways and brooks

More than 5 million m3 of mud, sand and garbage carried to two main rivers of the region

Challenge to overcome palliative solutions

Remove irregular occupations has a political cost

Importance of codes and construction norms

Water Governance and Intersectoral Articulation Challenges

Integration , equipment and mapping to enable quick response

Improve systems of alert

Inform, educate and warn population on extreme events alert

Eliminate rsik areas needs land use control

Restitute, mantain rivers, urban green areas and hillsides

Advise population how to build to mitigate impacts og heavy rains and extreme events

Many Thanks!!

Let us Debate!!

prjacobi@usp.br