CONTENT 1. Water management regulation in Brazil 2. Case studies of RBOs in Brazil 3. History of the RBOs 4. Structure and Members 5. Government levels responsibility for RBOs 6. Institutional scheme 7. Roles of the RBO 8. Funding scheme 9. Some lessons learnt

1. River Basin Organizations
Study case from Brazil
Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, PhD
CNPq Scholarship (Brazil)
Ayeyarwady Futures Team
Stockholm Environment Institute
1
Stakeholder Consultation Meeting on Chindwin Futures Assessment
Monywa, 4th May 2015
Developed with the support of CNPq – National Council for Technological and Scientific Development – Brazil
CONTENT
1. Water management regulation in Brazil
2. Case studies of RBOs in Brazil
3. History of the RBOs
4. Structure and Members
5. Government levels responsibility for RBOs
6. Institutional scheme
7. Roles of the RBO
8. Funding scheme
9. Some lessons learnt

2. Water Management Regulation in
Brazil
• Water Law approved in 1997
– Structure of River Basin Organizations
• Challenges in 1997:
– Little financial and human resources
– Population and institutions were not used to
participatory governance, such as the water
councils and RBO committees proposed in
the new water law
– Starting a cycle of fast development from
2001 to 2010, increasing pressure on water
resources
• Myanmar may face similar challenges and
experiences that Brazil faced in the
development cycle
0.00
5,000.00
10,000.00
15,000.00
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
Per Capita GDP - BrazilUSD
Source: World Bank Database
Case studies of RBOs
in Brazil
• Paracatu RBO
• Verde Grande RBO
• Water Commission of Minas
Gerais State Parliament from
2013-2014
– Assessment of achievements and
challenges of the 36 RBO in the state
4

3. History of the RBOs
Paracatu RBO Verde Grande RBO
Establishment 1998 2003
Master Plans approved in 2006 2010
Water Quality Standards
Proposed in 2006
(awaiting approval of
Water Council)
Proposed in 2010
(awaiting approval of
Water Council)
Charge for Water Use Implementing In discussion
Water Agencies under
RBOs
Articulated with São
Francisco Basin
Articulated with São
Francisco Basin
Sources:ANA. Enquadramento – Bases Legais. Available at: http://portalpnqa.ana.gov.br/enquadramento-bases-legais.aspx, accessed on 16 Apr 2015
ANA (2014). Cobrança pelo uso de recursos hídricos no Brasil. Informe 2013. Available at:
http://arquivos.ana.gov.br/institucional/sag/CobrancaUso/Estudos/Informativo2013_CobrancapeloUsodeRecursosHidricosnoBrasil.pdf
ALMG (2014). Relatório Final da Comissão das Águas. Available at: http://www.cbhdoce.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Veja-aqui-o-relat%C3%B3rio.pdf
CBH Paracatu website. Available at: http://agbpeixevivo.org.br/index.php/comites/cbhs-estaduais/cbh-rio-paracatu.html, accessed on 16 Apr 2015
CBH Verde Grande websites . Available at: http://www.verdegrande.cbh.gov.br/, accessed on 16 Apr 2015
IGAM (2015) 2o relatório de gestão e situação dos recursos hídricos em Minas Gerais. Available at: portalinfohidro.igam.mg.gov.br/publicacoes-tecnicas/relatorios-de-
gestao/8837-/download
INFOHIDRO website. Availabe at: http://portalinfohidro.igam.mg.gov.br/publicacoes-tecnicas/enquadramento/, accessed on 16 Apr 2015
• Underlying Principle of Parity in member composition
Example:
Structure and Members
Members of Verde Grande RBO
• Water Users
• Civil society
• Government Institutions
• National government
• State
• Municipality
Equally
divided
among
Then equally
divided among
6
• Internal elections for members and direction roles
• Enables rotation and renovation
• Internal structure with sub-committees and working groups
Ex: Water management institutions
Agriculture development institutions
Environmental institutions
Ex: Irrigated farmers associations
Hydropower companies
Water supply institutions
Ex: Local NGOS
Community associations

4. State A
State B
Ocean
Responsibility of State B
Responsibility of
National Government
Inter-state sub-basin:
National government can
establish RBO
Intra-state sub-basin:
State A can assume
responsibility
Government levels responsibility
for RBOs
7
• National Level
• Water Use Permits
• National Information System
• Surveillance
• Regulations
• Approves propositions from RBOs
• Propositions to Water Council
Non-government nature
A member of each RBO
• Experience sharing
• Consultative role
National
Water Council
RBO RBO RBO
National
Water Agency
…RBO
Forum
Water
Agency
Water
Agency
Water
Agency
Technical body to be implemented after
Water Use Charge starts in the basin
• Gradually assume the roles of
the National Water Agency
8
Institutional Scheme
• National Level • State Level
RBO
Forum
Water
Agency
Water
Agency
Water
Agency
National
Water Council
RBO RBO RBO
National
Water Agency
… RBO
Forum
Water
Agency
Water
Agency
Water
Agency
State Water
Council
RBO RBO RBO
State
Water Agency
…

5. Roles of the RBO
• Progressive roles of an RBO
1st - Water Basin Plan
2nd - Water Quality Standards
3rd - Rules for charging water use
4th - Establishment of Water Agency in the basin
• On demand roles
– 1st instance for water conflict resolution
– Water use permit for big users
9
(in Minas Gerais State)
Funding Scheme
• Tax on hydropower profit
– Rationale: compensation for impacts of hydropower reservoirs
– Main fund source for water management policy in the country
– Part of the tax is source for the Water Fund in Minas Gerais State
• Environmental projects in river basins
• Administrative costs of RBOs, mainly
– Transportation for meetings
– Administrative staff
• Charge for Water Use
– Gradually implemented in some basins
– All money collected must be invested in the same basin
• Projects, studies and infrastructure according to criteria proposed by RBO
and approved by the Water Council
• Technical and administrative maintenance of RBO and Water Agency
10

6. Some lessons learnt
• The RBO always need to have some important task to be
done
– People need to see that their participation is useful
• Government reliability with public budget is crucial to
maintain the credibility of people in the RBOs
– Misuse of money to be invested in basins
– Delay or cancellation of promised investments
• RBO role is not only for water policy planning:
– supervise investments by government institutions
– mobilize society
• Industries pressure on Water Council made it difficult to
approve Water Quality Standards proposed by RBOs
It is difficult to
recover credibility
after it is lost
11
Contact:
Chayanis KRITTASUDTHACHEEWA, Ph.D.(Ms)
chayanis.k@sei-international.org
Louis LEBEL, Ph.D.
louis@sea-user.org
Eric KEMP-BENEDICT, Ph.D.
eric.kemp-benedict@sei-international.org
Bernadette (Babette) RESURRECCIÓN, Ph.D.
bernadette.resurreccion@sei-international.org
Chusit APIRUMANEKUL, Ph.D.
chusit.apirumanekul@sei-international.org
Vitor Vieira VASCONCELOS, Ph.D.
vitor.vasconcelos@sei-international.org
Website: http://sei-international.org/
Thanks to the Blue Moon Fund, DWIR, MEI and
all stakeholders and partners in Myanmar
Contact in Myanmar
Program Coordinator:
Ms. Cho Cho Win, MB: 95-9428128900,
chochowin47@gmail.com