A view of the legislative scenario for rainwater harvesting in Brazil

摘要

The use of rainwater as a complement to municipal water supply networks has gained importance in the efforts to mitigate the strain on fresh water resources around the world. Governments play a crucial role in these efforts by setting out policies that regulate and incentivize the implementation of rainwater harvesting systems. In Brazil these policies are scattered, making it difficult to visualize where the country stands in the regulation of the rainwater sector. This article attempts to create a legislative picture of the Brazilian regulation. Laws and other regulations at federal, state and municipal levels were analyzed and summarized in order to provide a clear view of the current situation. The research showed a fragmented approach from the different levels of governmental powers. Local policies make up most, albeit insufficient, of the legislative coverage in the Brazilian territory. The results obtained for this investigation may serve as a tool for the comparison of the policies implemented in other countries and determine were Brazil stands as an emerging power in implementation of low impact policies and technologies. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.