Protesters take to the streets of Brazil over their dwindling water supply
BRAZIL IS THE Brazil fifth largest country in the world, measured by area or population, and it’s home to one-eighth of the fresh water on the planet, including the Amazon, the mightiest river in the world.
But Brazil’s most populous region is facing the worst drought it has encountered in a century.
The New York Times reports São Paulo, the largest and richest city in the country, is running out of water.
Some residents say their water is already cut off for more than half of every day, and the drastic situation is getting worse, igniting protests in the city and surrounding region.
Fears about what life will be like as water becomes more scarce have kicked off protests in and around the city.
In a meeting where someone secretly recorded audio that was leaked to the press, Paulo Massato, the metropolitan director of the São Paulo state-run water utility, said that people might have to flee the city.
So, how did we get here?
Well, massive growth over the 20th century built up a metropolitan area of more than 20 million residents that a leaky water system can’t adequately serve.
There are serious water shortages in the three most populous states in Brazil — São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais.
But São Paulo, both the metropolitan area and the surrounding municipalities, has it the worst so far.
The water supply in the Cantareira system, which provides most of the water for greater Sao Paulo, is at the lowest point it has ever been recorded — below 7% of its capacity.
The drought, combined with the ever-increasing demand for water in a growing city, has been made worse by environmental destruction, climate shifts, and pollution.
Forests and wetlands near the city have been destroyed as it has grown to be one of the largest cities in the world, removing an important source of water.
http://www.thejournal.ie/brazil-water-shortage-1946758-Feb2015/