Policies and strategies
- Brazil's 1934 Water Code provides the framework for all of the country's water-related legislation.
- In 1997, the Federal Government approved the National Water Law (NWL) aimed at incorporating modern water resources management principles and instruments into Brazil's water resources management system. NWL established the National Water Resources Policy (NWRP) and the National Water Resources Management System (NWRMS).
- In 2006, the National Water Resources Plan was approved to establish guidelines and public policies for the period to 2020 aimed at increasing the quantity and quality of the water supply and improving demand management.
- A new federal Water and Sanitation Law (Lei n° 11.445/07 para o Saneamento Básico) was signed in 2007. The law outlines federal aims at increasing investments to provide universal access to water and sanitation. Simultaneously, the President announced a new Programme for the Acceleration of Growth (Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento - PAC) that includes major investments in, amongst others, water and sewage for poor Brazilians.
- The National Water Supply and Sanitation Policy identifies different steps to improve service coverage and efficiency by encouraging a more competitive and better regulated environment.
Institutions
- At national level, the Ministry of Cities coordinates sector policies, which are implemented by various Ministries, such as the Ministry of the Environment (mandate to implement Brazil's Agenda 21), the Ministry of Health (attributions related to sanitation), and the Ministries of Agrarian Development, Regional Policy Coordination and Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (attributions in rural areas).
- The National Secretariat of Environmental Sanitation (Secretaria Nacional de Saneamento Ambiental) under the Ministry of Cities seeks to ensure universal water supply and sanitation and operates a broad range of programmes for particularly vulnerable regions and populations.
- The Council of Cities (Conselho das Cidades) was created in 2004 as a consultative and decision-making body in order to propose directives for the formulation and implementation of national urban development policy, and to accompany its execution.
- Water resources management is the responsibility of the National Water Authority (Agência Nacional de Aguas - ANA), which was created in 2000. The authority is an executive branch of the Ministry of the Environment but with administrative and financial autonomy. It is in charge of implementing the National Water Law (NWL).
- The National Council on Water Resources (NCWR) aims at promoting the integration of water resources planning at the national, regional, and state levels and between user sectors. NCWR, which is chaired by the Minister of the Environment, consists of representatives of the Federal Government ministries, representatives designated by the State Councils on Water Resources and representatives of water users and civil organizations concerned with water resources management.
- Provision of water and sanitation services is the responsibility of municipalities. However, state water and sewer companies in each of Brazil's states are in charge of water services in most municipalities.
- Municipal service providers are associated in the National Association of Municipal Water and Sanitation Service Providers (Associação Nacional dos Serviços Municipais de Saneamento - ASSEMAE). State water and sanitation companies have formed the Association of State Companies for Water Supply and Basic Sanitation (Associação das Empresas de Saneamento Básico Estaduais - AESBE).
