On World Water Day (March 22), Brazil reinforces its commitment to ensuring water security for millions of people, particularly in regions with higher levels of vulnerability. Brazil’s semi-arid, one of the most populated in the world, faces long periods of drought and is home to 28 million people. Despite its large territorial extension, the Northeast concentrates around 3% of the country’s water availability, while parts of the Amazon also suffer from dry seasons.

To address this challenge and ensure that the needs of the population are met, the Federal Government invests in water infrastructure programs, such as the Cisterns Project, Water for All, Fresh Water and sanitation works, as well as the São Francisco River diversion project. Since the beginning of the current administration, hydric infrastructure has been expanded to reduce inequalities and prepare the country for the impacts of climate change.

For 2025 and 2026, the strategy includes expanding access to water, consolidating sustainable productive pools, and strengthening city resilience against extreme events, ensuring better quality of life for the Brazilian people.

NEW PAC — With the New Growth Acceleration Program (Novo PAC), the Federal Government resumed investments in water security, revitalization of watersheds, and urban and rural supply projects, focusing on sustainable access to quality water, which is essential both for consumption of the population and for social and economic development. In 2024, a total of 24,000 cisterns, 119 desalination systems, and 23 simplified water access systems in Indigenous communities.

WATER FOR ALL — Incorporated into the New PAC, the Water for All axis aims to universalize access to water in rural areas, both for human consumption and for agricultural and food production. By 2026, a total of BRL 30.8 billion will be invested. Of this amount, BRL 11.8 billion will be allocated to the water infrastructure sub-axis, and BRL 4.4 billion to watershed revitalization. Additionally, Water for All includes the Water Supply and Water to Those Who Need It Most sub-axes, expanding the scope of actions to ensure access to water in diverse contexts and for varying needs.

I always used to say that the drought is a natural phenomenon, but the death of animals and people is a consequence of the irresponsibility of those who governed this country. Because we had the means to do [something about] it, and we have proved it”

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
Brazil’s President of the Republic

LIFE IMPROVEMENT — In his speeches, Brazil’s President of the Republic Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has highlighted the importance of investments to improve the life conditions of the population. “I wanted to tell you that it is an immense joy to come here to address such an extraordinary theme as the Water for All program. This program aims to make it possible for us to ensure that every Brazilian citizen can have access to quality water to drink, shower, and cook. And this is why we have come here to bring water to you all because no one can live without water and no one can live without food,” stated the President during the delivery of the first stage of the Adutora da Fé water main, in Bom Jesus da Lapa, Bahia.

WATER SECURITY — This week, in another significant step to ensure water supply to vulnerable regions, President Lula participated in the inauguration of the Oiticica Complex, in the Seridó hinterland (Sertão do Seridó) in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Included in the context of the Water for All context, the construction work will directly benefit around 294,000 people in 22 municipalities.

"I always used to say that the drought is a natural phenomenon, but the death of animals and people is a consequence of the irresponsibility of those who governed this country. Because we had the means to do [something about] it, and we have proved it. It is not because a large canal was dug, it is because this canal will allow water to flow through the state of Paraíba, the state of Rio Grande do Norte, part of the state of Pernambuco, the state of Ceará, and the state of Bahia," declared the President during the event.

The capacity of the reservoir will be expanded from 75.56 million to 742 million cubic meters. Since 2013, the Federal Government has invested BRL 765 million in this construction work, BRL 163.1 million of which during the current administration via New PAC.

Oiticica Complex, located in the Seridó hinterland, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, will directly benefit 294,000 people in 22 municipalities. Image: Ricardo Stuckert / PR

Thousands of people in Ceará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Rio Grande do Norte currently receive adequate amounts of quality water thanks to the diversion project. It is a historical landmark for the region’s water security”

Giuseppe Vieira, National Water Security Secretary

SÃO FRANCISCO — The Rio São Francisco Integration Project (Projeto de Integração do Rio São Francisco / PISF) is the country’s largest infrastructure construction project and part of the National Water Resources Policy (Política Nacional de Recursos Hídricos). More than a national engineering landmark, the diversion of the São Francisco River represents a historical solution for water shortages in the Northeastern semi-arid region, intending to supply the hydric demands of the population.

The project will ensure water security for over 12 million people in Brazil's Northeast, across 390 municipalities in the states most vulnerable to droughts: Ceará, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, and Pernambuco.

PRIORIDADE — According to Giuseppe Vieira, National Water Security Secretary of the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development (Ministério da Integração e do Desenvolvimento Regional /MIDR), ensuring access to water in the semi-arid and regions with low rainfall rates through PISF is a priority. “Its importance for the northern part of the Northeast region is immense because thousands of people in Ceará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Rio Grande do Norte now receive adequate amounts of quality water thanks to the diversion project. It is a historical landmark for the region’s water security,” explained the secretary.

FAST-TRACKED CONSTRUCTION — The structural water infrastructure works that are part of the PISF continue at an accelerated pace. In Ceará, the first canal of the Salgado Branch (Ramal do Salgado) is already 79% complete, with delivery expected in 2027, benefiting 5 million people in the hinterland. The Apodi Branch (Ramal do Apodi), an extension of the PISF North Axis, has surpassed 72% completion and is expected to become operational in 2026, bringing water to 54 cities and 750,000 people across Ceará, Paraíba, and Rio Grande do Norte.

AGRESTE BRANCH — In Pernambuco, the Agreste Branch (Ramal do Agreste) is advancing to serve 2.2 million people across 71 cities, ensuring a continuous water supply and boosting development in the region. Spanning 70.8 kilometers and featuring two reservoirs, the project also includes 17 environmental programs to mitigate impacts and strengthen water sustainability in Pernambuco’s Agreste (brushland region).

NEW PROJECTS — The Federal Government is also fast-tracking construction works and hiring new projects to expand the hydric infrastructure and ensure access to water in vulnerable regions. Furthermore, it is investing in the expansion of climate change surveillance. Among the ongoing actions are the hiring of new construction projects associated with the integration of the São Francisco River, the conclusion of Lot 2 of the Acauã-Araçagi Canal in Paraíba, and the implementation of projects such as the Salgado Branch (Ramal do Salgado), the Water Belt (Cinturão das Águas), and the expansion of the Waters Axe (Eixão das Águas) in Ceará. In the coming years, strategic construction projects will be concluded, including sections of the Sertão Canal of Alagoas (Canal do Sertão Alagoano) and the Sertão Canal of Bahia (Canal do Sertão Baiano).

COMBATING INEQUALITIES — To reduce regional inequalities, a total of BRL 12 billion is being invested in water supply for areas affected by droughts. The actions include the construction of the Novo Algodões Dam (Barragem de Nova Algodões) in Piauí, the Seridó Water Main (Adutora do Seridó) in Rio Grande do Norte, and the resuming of the Arroio Taquarembó and Jaguari dams in Rio Grande do Sul and Gatos e Panelas II in Pernambuco. Other works are close to the conclusion, including the Fé Water Main (Adutora da Fé) in Bahia, the Oiticica Dam in Rio Grande do Norte, as well as 133 desalination systems. New construction projects will begin soon, such as the Rio da Caixa Dam (Barragem Rio da Caixa) and the second stage of Adutora da Fé in Bahia, the Rio Jucu Dam (Barragem do Rio Jucu) in Espírito Santo, and the Agreste Potiguar Water Main (Adutora do Agreste Potiguar) in Rio Grande do Norte.

When we arrived from work, we had to go down to the port to fetch water to shower. My children went to school in the morning and had to bathe on the lake shore. Today, it is different: they can shower at home. There is plenty of water”
Rosilda Cordeiro, a beneficiary of water harvesting technologies in the Amazon

HYDRIC RESOURCES — In celebration of World Water Day and the advancements in water management, the National Waters and Basic Sanitation Agency (Agência Nacional de Águas e Saneamento Básico /ANA) held a ceremony on Thursday, March 20. Marina Silva, Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change (Meio Ambiente e Mudança do Clima), was among the attendees. She highlighted the need to protect the environment, particularly the forests, which she called natural water infrastructures. “If we degrade our forests, we cannot maintain hydric resources; if we do not look at the natural water infrastructure, there will be no water for us. When we think about the forests, they are great water maintainers. This is the natural infrastructure for water resources,” stated Marina Silva.

COP30 — The minister also underscored that the hydric issue will be widely discussed at COP30, to be held in Belém, in the state of Pará, in November. “We are working on the agenda for action regarding water resources. We even have a space dedicated to water resources at COP30. And we hope that COP30 will also serve as a platform to discuss the main causes behind the growing risk of water loss, not just in Brazil but worldwide — which is the issue of climate change," said the minister.

Rosilda Cordeiro Leite received the rainwater harvesting and storage autonomous system in August 2024, in the Amazon: technology integrates the Cisterns Program. Image: Claudio Martins Veríssimo

CISTERNS PROGRAM — One of the most important water safety initiatives in the semi-arid, the National Program for the Support of Rainwater Harvesting and Other Social Technologies (Cisterns Program) has the goal of promoting access to water through the implementation of simple social and low-cost technologies. Launched in 2003, the initiative has completed two decades and currently delivers water to 1.3 million families in the Semi-Arid and Amazon regions. To mark this trajectory, the Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, Family, and Hunger Eradication (Ministério do Desenvolvimento e Assistência Social, Família e Combate à Fome /MDS) launched at the end of 2024, the book "Water to Harvest Future (Água para Colher Futuro): 20 years of the Cisterns Program", gathering stories from a group of individuals – public managers, researchers, social organization directors, and beneficiaries who helped build this public policy. Moreover, a series of videos available on YouTube depicts the impact of the program on the lives of inhabitants of Ceará and the Amazon.

One of the beneficiaries is Rosilda Cordeiro Leite, 41 years old, who in August 2024 received the rainwater harvesting and storage autonomous system, one of the technologies that integrate the Cisterns Program. The family is one of the 1,987 beneficiaries of the autonomous systems in the Amazon. Now, she and her family have access to a sink to wash food; the dishes no longer accumulate; the children no longer suffer from frequent intestinal problems; they have a shower, a toilet with water flushing, and a septic tank; and water to irrigate the subsistence crops — mainly manioc and banana. “It helped a lot. When we arrived from work, we had to go down to the port to fetch water to shower. My children went to school in the morning and had to bathe on the lake shore. Today, it is different: they can shower at home. There is plenty of water,” celebrated Rosilda.

HOW IT WORKS — The technology consists of a family module that includes a rainwater harvesting component, a treatment device, a 1,000-litre individual reservoir, an eight-liter clay filter, a home sanitary kit, and the installation of four access points, including a toilet. It also includes a water harvesting module for a secondary source, a treatment unit, a 5,000-litre community reservoir, and a water distribution system for the family modules.

A mãe Mikaele, ao lado dos filhos Reginaldo e Laura: programa cisternas mudando realidades em Barreira, no interior do Ceará

RESUMING — After years of discontinuation, the Federal Government resumed investments in the Cisterns Program in 2023, increasing the budget and setting the goal of implementing 200,000 new cisterns by 2026. Internationally recognized, the program has received awards and become a reference for other countries like Argentina and Bolivia.

AUTONOMY — More than ensuring access to water, the Cisterns Program has served as an instrument for female empowerment, particularly in the Semi-arid region. Without the need to walk long distances to fetch water, women now have more time for work, education, and social participation. 

FRESH WATER — Another initiative that completed 20 years is the Fresh Water Program (Programa Água Doce /PAD), which prioritizes rural communities of the Brazilian semi-arid. PAD was initiated in 2004 and uses desalination systems to transform underground brackish water from wells into potable water. The systems benefit over 254,000 people, with a production capacity of 4.2 million liters of desalinated water per day. In addition to installing equipment, the program trains community members to operate and maintain the systems, ensuring that potable water remains accessible to satisfy the needs of the population.

NEW CHAPTER — Water has brought a new chapter to the lives of many families, particularly for women. For Alana Karla da Silva Medeiros, a farmer from Desterro, in Paraíba, the arrival of the program represented much more than access to potable water: it brought dignity, security, and a new life perspective. “We depended on the water accumulated from the rains, but it often was not enough to reach the next winter. Now we know that even in times of little rain, we will have quality water to drink, cook, and maintain our activities. It was one of the best construction projects we ever had in our community,” shared the farmer.

BASIC SANITATION — One of the water security pillars, basic sanitation includes potable water supply, which is essential to public health. In Brazil, around 17% of the population remains without access to piped water and around 40% live without a sewage system, according to the National Basic Sanitation Information System (Sistema Nacional de Informações em Saneamento Básico /SINISA). To address this challenge, the Federal Government’s current administration is increasing investments in the sector through the New PAC, which will destine  BRL 2 billion to urban supply, BRL 4 billion to sewage collection and treatment, and BRL 600 million to solid residue management.

SOCIAL IMPACTS — The Minister of Cities (Cidades), Jader Filho, highlighted that the measure will bring significant changes to thousands of Brazilian citizens. "President Lula’s administration has been constantly working to change these numbers, and the proof is the new PAC selection for basic sanitation projects. These resources will foster investments and improve regulation in the basic sanitation sector," informed the minister, during the launch of the 2025 Sanitation Legislative Agenda (Agenda Legislativa do Saneamento).

WORLD WATER DAY — Established by the UN in 1992 in Brazilian territory, World Water Day emerged as a landmark to discuss water resources preservation and management. Each year, a theme is chosen for global reflection; in 2025, the focus is "Save Our Glaciers". In Brazil, the National Waters and Basic Sanitation Agency (Agência Nacional de Águas e Saneamento Básico /ANA) proposed the discussion about "The Waters Connect and Sanitation Transform” (“As Águas Conectam e o Saneamento Transforma"), within the institution’s 25th Anniversary Journey. Federal programs for water security and sanitation are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6, which seeks to ensure universal access to safe potable water for all by 2030.