ELLA Policy Brief: Water and climate change: improving access and management in semi-arid Brazil

ELLA is the Evidence and Lessons from Latin America programme

From:
Department for International Development
Published
1 January 2011
Country:
Brazil
Document Type:
Briefing
Theme:
Climate and Environment, Water and Sanitation
Authors:
South South North

Abstract

Water security is becoming increasingly problematic in semiarid regions as a result of climate change. In response, Brazil’s federal government implemented two large programmes to build water infrastructure and facilitate access. However, the initiatives had a limited focus on water management, a gap that was filled by civil society to help put water to its most productive use. This brief describes these complementary initiatives, focusing on offering useful lessons learned for readers in other regions.

Key Lessons:

  • Policies and practices focusing on both water supply and use have to be implemented in parallel.
  • Promoting efficient water use seems to work best when combining community education by civil society groups with disseminating simple, cost-effective technology.
  • Water infrastructure, such as rainwater harvesting dams and wells, when combined with drip irrigation, will help farmers continue to produce as rain-fed agriculture becomes more difficult due to climate change.

Citation

South South North. ELLA Policy Brief: Water and climate change: improving access and management in semi-arid Brazil. ELLA, Practical Action Consulting, Lima, Peru (2011) 5 pp.

Published 1 January 2011
Contents