There can be no question that an access to water is a basic human right. However, the recent drought has threatened the Brazilian's right to have water. Brazil has 12% of the world's freshwater through the Amazon basin and used to call "Saudi Arabia of water". Nevertheless the worst drought in this country since 1930 has a serious effect on large areas of south-east Brazil, in particular, three most popular states São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais.

São Paulo has experienced the fastest economic growth over the past decade with a metropolitan area of 20million people. However, the water shortage becomes a serious problem in this megacity, where thousands of residents have had water supplies cut. The beginning of this year, the main reservoir is at between 6%~13% of capacity, which is not enough to supply this city. The water rationing has an impact on more than 11million people in São Paulo suffering from lack of water. Some people start to dig private wells or their basement to have a ground water and others try to capture rainwater, which might lead to contaminated water issue. The water rationing could not be distributed enough, in particular, in some low-income areas. Furthermore, the water scarcity inevitably causes the difficulty for business to carry properly. To overuse water makes restaurant owners pay the fine so that they have a difficulty in washing a lot of dirty plate and to spend the extra money for buying plastic cups. Also, the price of the vegetables has been raised at 10% as well due to water scarcity issue

The biggest one of four reservoirs in São Paulo states, Paraibuna reservoir dropped to the level zero for the first time on Jan. 21. 2015. After that, the Santa Branca reservoir (one of the four reservoirs in São Paulo state) that supplies drinking water In Rio de Janeiro state, São Paulo and Minas Gerais reached at low water level so that Brazil's top tourist area, Rio de Janeiro started to experience the worst water crisis in its history. The residents and industries here are asked to reduce the water consumption by as much as 30%.

Minas Gerais is no exception. The trade group's latest figure shows that Minas has 956 dairies and earns income, total R$20 billion with capturing about 25% of production in Brazil. Usually, the drought does not affect the milk supply but some dairy companies already show the downward trend due to lack of water in pastures. Also, persistent drought has a negative effect on dairy manufacturing such as cleaning silos, production lines and tanker trucks. The dairy industry of Minas Gerais decided to reduce investment by the risk of lack of water.

It is clear that the reasons for the drought are induced by human activities climate change, deforestation of Amazon, pollution and overconsumption. The continuous deforestation in the Amazon for cattle breeding and soya cultivation causes the disappearance of the Atlantic forest drastically, which eventually leading the climate change. The forest has an important role to retain the moisture, releases a significant amount of vapor and cool off the temperature. Scientists states that the Amazon basin emits 20,000 billion liters of water a day and this humidity contributes to bringing the rain, which Latin America suffers less from drought. However, according to the most recent data, 762,000 sq km of rainforest has been destructed over the past 40years, (18 per cent of the Amazon is deforested and 29 per cent is damaged).

The dramatic increase in water usage is no wonder if we all consider that São Paulo's fast development in recent decades influences the overloaded in the water supply system and Brazil's agrifood industry accounts for almost 70% of water consumption. Furthermore, here 20million people live in São Paulo could not have enough chance to get clean water because of the poor basic infrastructure and the rivers are completely polluted. In the time of the chronic water shortage, this contaminated river could not be the solution to supply water for them

Public awareness for the water shortages has not been enough to take an action and protest against this serious issue. However, there are various projects and education are ongoing to raise people's attention and we have been involved as well.

RESOURCES

Tremonti, A. M. (2015). São Paulo’s extreme water shortage worrying for water rich Brazil. The Current. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-march-3-2015-1.2979592/sao-paulo-s-extreme-water-shortage-worrying-for-water-rich-brazil-1.2979633

Hawes, W. (2015). Drought in São Paulo: Brazil’s megacity on verge of crisis as water rationing, shutoffs continue. Global Research.

Murray News. (2015). Water Shortage leads Minas Gerais dairies to curtail investments. Retrieved from http://murray.adv.br/en/1032/water-shortage-leads-minas-gerais-dairies-to-curtail-investments/

International Business Times. (2015). Brazil’s Drought: Worst water crisis in 80 years affecting four million people in country’s south east. Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/brazil-drought-worst-water-crisis-80-years-affecting-four-million-people-countrys-1794006

Osborn, C. (2015). South’s America Largest City is Almost out of Water. PRI’s the world – Science Tech & Environment.

Flueckiger, L. (2015). Second Water reservoir that Feeds Rio Drying Out. The Rio Times.

BBC News. (2015). Brazil’s most populous region facing worst drought in 80 years. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30962813

Bohm, S. (2015). Droughts are nothing new. So why did not São Paulo’s water provider have a back up plan? Retrieved from http://www.citymetric.com/business/droughts-are-nothing-new-so-why-didnt-s-o-paulos-water-provider-have-back-plan-1021

Davies, W. ( 2015). Brazil drought: São Paulo sleepwalking into water crisis. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-29947965