Water governance in Brazil and the challenges to its democratization

Abstract

Aligned with international discourses, Brazil approved in 1997 its Water Law, which institutionalizes a system of decentralized and participatory decision-making procedures on water management in what concerns river basins. By adopting the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), the Water Law symbolizes a shift in the country’s water governance, including non-governmental actors in decisions about resource allocation, water rights and collection of charges. Sixteen years after the enactment of the Law, the situation of some river basin committees reveals that the IWRM principles have not been effectively implemented yet. This essay seeks to analyze the current challenges preventing the full democratization of water governance in Brazil.