Water and climate change: improving access and management in semi-arid Brazil

Water security is becoming increasingly problematic in semi-arid regions as a result of climate change. In response, Brazil’s federal government implemented two large programmes to build water infrastructure and facilitate access. However, the initiatives had a limited focus on water management, a gap that was filled by civil society to help put water to its most productive use. This brief describes these complementary initiatives, focusing on offering useful lessons learned for readers in other regions.