Towards adaptive water governance in South America: lessons from water crises in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay

Abstract

Similar to the whole world, South America faces numerous water-related crises and challenges (e.g. water quantity and quality scarcity) due to climate change, land use, governance systems, and other such factors. This chapter deals with water governance in South America, specifically Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. The objective was to analyse the recent water crises in three watersheds in terms of their consequences on drinking water supply—turbidity in the Chubut river (Patagonia, Argentina) in 2017, drought in the Piracicaba-Capivari-Jundiaí river basins (São Paulo, Brazil) in 2014–2015, and algal blooms in the Laguna del Sauce lake (Maldonado, Uruguay) in 2015—and the lessons learned. The methods used included semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and document analyses. The consequences of the crises were diverse and included enhanced communication among actors at multiple levels (Argentinian and Uruguayan cases), incorporation of climate components in the basin management plan (Brazilian case), and emergence of social mistrust regarding the quality of drinking water (Uruguayan case). We discuss the findings in light of the need for adaptive and anticipatory water governance in the context of climate change and uncertainty.