Pénurie hydrique et crise de gouvernance dans la Région métropolitaine de São Paulo

Beginning in the 1990s, Brazil introduced a new model for managing water resources: management by river basins. The model was implemented in São Paulo through Law 7.663 in 1991 and in the rest of the country with Law 9.433 in 1997. While this system presupposes participatory, integrated, and decentralized management, in the state of São Paulo, characteristics of the old model endure in practice. During the years 2013-2015, the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo experienced a serious supply crisis due to the mismanagement of water resources. This article reflects on the water management system in the state of São Paulo, analyzing the water crisis that occurred in the city of São Paulo 22 years after the law governing water resources in the state was passed. We begin with a discussion of governance, followed by an analysis of water management in Brazil. Next, we assess the water management system and the water crisis in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, emphasizing issues of governance, transparency, and societal participation