Access to Water and Sanitation Services in Brazilian Vulnerable Areas: The Role of Regulation and Recent Institutional Reform

Abstract

Access to water and sanitation services (WSSs) in low- or middle-income countries is constrained by the poverty and vulnerability conditions of the population. In this context, it is urgent to establish public policies for WSSs that will increase the economic access to these services so that they will be more comprehensive and comprise the entire population, ensuring a balance between social and financial objectives. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the provision of WSSs in vulnerable areas and of the difficulty in achieving universal access using Brazil as a case study. The role of regulation in the provision of WSSs in vulnerable areas and the impact of the recent institutional reform that took place last year in that country is discussed. The different experiences analyzed provide interesting lessons that contribute to the improvement of the Brazilian status quo and that, at the same time, can be good practices that can be applied in other countries. One of the main conclusions of this research is related to the contributions that regulation should provide in the universalization of WSSs, mainly when the provision of these services is ruled by a contract. Furthermore, we observed that public authorities have resigned their role in this scope and that they must be more effective and, particularly, more proactive so that universalization can be achieved.

The Potential to Address Disease Vectors in Favelas in Brazil Using Sustainable Drainage Systems: Zika, Drainage and Greywater Management

“…These do show potential, but this also highlights the urgency of financial investment and recommendations for informal communities, where there are issues related to sewage, greywater and solid waste management, exacerbated by population density, the lack of infrastructure and land tenure. Issues with the lack of water and sanitation services are encapsulated in [ 52 ], who highlight the role that regulation could play in addressing inequality of service provision by prioritising the poor. However, as they state, neither the national government nor regulatory agencies have supported inclusiveness, in spite of projects, such as the National Water Agency of Brazil (ANA) or the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), which the federal government supported; in fact, “They are nobody’s land” “are excluded” and “not included in the statistics”.…”

Turning Water Abundance Into Sustainability in Brazil

“…For instance, the recently reviewed National Basic Sanitation Plan (PLANSAB, Law n. 14,026/2020) aim to increase from 82 to 99% of the population the access to drinking water, and to increase from 46 to 90% of the population the access to sewage collection by 2033. To achieve these goals, the law supports the privatization of state sanitation companies, the regionalization of water-related services and changes in local regulations (Narzetti and Marques, 2021).…”

“…The PLANSAB foresees the collection and treatment of sewage of 90% of the Brazilian population by 2033 without differentiating urban, rural areas or informal areas. However, the increase in sewage collection and treatment foreseen in the PLANSAB is expected to mainly occur in urban areas, due to the proportionally higher cost of infrastructure implementation and the lower political appeal of marginal areas (Narzetti and Marques, 2021).…”

“…Constructed wetlands are particularly recommended for tropical countries, where plant growth is not seasonally limited by temperature or sunlight (Kivaisi, 2001). In Brazil, however, constructed wetlands have been inexplicably overlooked as a potential solution for sewage treatment in small cities and vulnerable areas, for example being omitted from the PLANSAB (Narzetti and Marques, 2021). We strongly support constructed wetlands being encouraged in the competition for new ventures through policy instruments mainly in small cities and rural and vulnerable areas, such as tax incentives and government subsidies.…”

Application of the Rural Water Sustainability Index (RWSI) in Amazon rural communities, Pará, Brazil

“…Understanding the lack of availability (physical, infrastructure, or institutional), the qualitative and economic scarcity of water is necessary for the formulation of public policies at national, state, and local scales (Narzetti & Marques, 2021). In recent years, the commitment of several researchers to measure the sustainability of water in the Brazilian Amazon region has been observed (Rego et al, 2013;Brito et al, 2020;Rocha & Lima, 2020) through the development of instruments for assessment based on sustainability indicators.…”