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Water Crisis: The Example Set by California

We have been witnessing the water crisis affecting our country and the world due to various reasons. Prolonged drought, poor water resource management, and inadequate planning have raised significant concerns about water scarcity. As reported, several Brazilian municipalities and some countries have implemented restrictive, disciplinary, and/or punitive measures to curb improper water use and conserve water for current and future generations.

Water is a major global concern as it is a non-renewable natural resource essential to life. Thus, its scarcity, whether due to misuse, seasonal natural phenomena, or the lack of proper regulation for its management leading to mismanagement by those responsible, is a growing international concern.

Water scarcity has been a long-standing issue in some countries. For instance, California, United States, has been facing its most severe water crisis in history for the past 4 years. To address this crisis, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in 2014 and called upon all citizens to conserve water, aiming for a 20% reduction in consumption.

Subsequently, the state approved a package of measures prohibiting actions such as watering sidewalks, gardens, and other practices that would constitute excessive and unnecessary water use. Penalties included fines or socio-educational measures for potential offenders.

However, criticism against the government arose arguing that these measures predominantly affected urban areas while the agricultural sector, the primary user, had not faced significant restrictions until then. The government's concern, however, was that imposing restrictive measures on rural areas would severely impact the economy, potentially leading to crop failures, job losses, and income deficits. Despite these concerns, given the current state of affairs, the government announced on June 12th an extension of restrictions to local farmers as well.

In Brazil, the situation is equally serious. In the Southeast region, for example, with its high population density, authorities and public agencies have been compelled to take exceptional cautionary measures. Various municipalities in Brazil have implemented measures including fines, increased energy bills, and water supply rationing.

However, global concern is futile without effective measures and appropriate planning to address underlying issues. It is essential that planning policies aimed at enhancing water resource distribution efficiency and sanitation be accompanied by public awareness programs about the finite nature of water resources and the impacts of their scarcity. Otherwise, isolated measures will be ineffective in achieving their intended purpose, resulting in palliative and insufficient efforts to tackle the real problem.

Alexandre Sion and Maria Carolina Dutra