The Cantareira water supply system transfers water from four tributaries of the Piracicaba, Capivari, and Jundiaí (PCJ) River Basins to the Alto Tietê River Basin to supply the metropolitan region of São Paulo. This transfer has caused conflicts between the river basins over water availability and impacts development in the PCJ basins. A river basin committee was established to negotiate water allocations and resolve disputes, establishing compensatory payments for water transferred out of the PCJ basins. However, droughts have stressed the system and highlighted the need for improved coordination between basins and water demand management.

1. Interbasin Water Transfers and Possible
Conflicts: PCJ River Basins Case Study
Photo: Folha de Campinas
Source: Guia turístico Piracicaba
Bruna Juliani
Md Moudud Hasan

2. Contents
• Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí (PCJ)
River Basins
• The Cantareira water supply system
• Conflicts between Cantareira system and
PCJ river basin
• Negotiations between them
• Impact of the Cantareira system on PCJ
basins
• Recommendation

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Background
Although Brazil is one of the world’s most-endowed countries in terms of water
resources, the distribution does not always follow the population concentration
13% freshwater
world’s
5% Brazilian
population’s
19% other river
basins
81% Amazon
River Basin
95% Brazilian
population’s

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Brazil's Water Management System
Important Water policy
➢Water is a public goods
➢Water is a finite
resource and has an
economic value
➢When scarce, drinking
water supply is the
uppermost priority

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Study Area
PCJ River
Basins
Metropolitan
region of São
Paulo
5,985 km²
20 million
inhabitants
19% GDP
15,400 km²
5 million
inhabitants
7% GDP

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The history behind the diversion...
The metropolitan region of São Paulo (MRSP) is the largest
urban concentration and industrial complex in Latin America
In the 1950s
MRSP started growing
up disorderly
Cantareira system
supply was initiated
1966
Transferring waters from 4
dammed tributaries of PCJ
RB to Alto Tietê RB
The main use water Alto Tietê is Urban supply

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Characteristics of Cantareira system
33 m3/s
Cantareira
System
5.0 m3/s
D/S to
PCJ
45 m3/s
Diversion
point
• provides 50% of the water
supply
• approximately 9 million
people in MRSP
SABESP: Responsible for the dams, reservoirs and channels of Cantareira system
ANA and DAEE: National and state levels, responsible for operational standards

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Major challenges
No compensatory measures were established
for riparian users
Later established numerous environmental
laws and regulations made this projects much
more complex
Heavy industrial and residential development in
PCJ basin during the 1980s generated fierce
debate and major conflicts regarding water use

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PCJ River Basins Committee established In 1993
➢Allocate water
➢Implement new development projects
➢Arbitrate conflicts among stakeholders
➢Impose pollution control restrictions
➢Establishing the fee mechanisms
PCJ River
Basin
Committee:
51
members
State
Govern
ment: 17
Municipali
ties: 17
Civil
society:
17

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In 2004 : Negotiation supported and supervised by
Valid up-to 2014
Compensatory measures: 7.50 USD/1,000
m3 transferred to another basin
Cantareira system
grant 31m³/sec

12. The diversion to Alto Tiete RB affects the availability of water in PCJ RB.
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Socio-economic impacts
• Lack of water that has hampered the functioning of schools, hospitals and businesses
• Agriculture has suffered
• Economic growth affected
Source:Drought in Brazil. Creative Commons: 2009 The Jacarei river dam is part of São Paulo’s
Cantareira system of dams.
Photograph: Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images

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Source: Agência PCJ
Amount of money collected by water users
● Decreased in collection due to no payment
by water user
Participation of users in the collection (%)

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Environmental Impacts
➢Environmental problems such as the lack, and low quality of the
water
➢Degradation of the aquatic resources.
➢Increase in the amount of pollution by organic material from
domestic and industrial sewage

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Extreme climate events
2014…long period of drought in the southeast Brazil’s summer
Piracicaba River, October 2014
➢ Lower flow rate
Piracicaba river
➢ Death fishes
Photos: Molin

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Extreme climate events
2014…long period of drought in the southeast Brazil’s summer
After - October 2014
➢ Decreased Cantareira
system water delivery
capacity
➢ High scarcity risk for MRSP
➢ Part-time water rationing, in
many cities
Cantareira system - Before drought
Source: Molin

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Institutional Problems
➢ Debates and discussions about the Cantareira System’s grant renewal
➢ Political interests involving water governance

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Conclusions and recommendations
➢It would be very difficult to expand the water supply system in the
MRSP because further water transfers from neighboring basins
would impose large political and social costs.
➢Interbasins coordination is necessary to minimize the problem
➢Creation of new financial mechanisms to encourage proper use
➢Brazil needs to reduce the water demand by minimizing water
losses

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