Water Policy (Jul 2023)
Water and sanitation services in Brazil: evaluating the regulatory governance based on the institutional analysis and development framework
Abstract
Brazilian's framework of water and sanitation services (WSS) is complex, with several actors from different legal natures and varied rules. The new Brazilian sanitation law aims to achieve universal access to WSS and effective provision of services, encouraging more efficiency by promoting competitiveness. However, the regulatory governance of the sector poses a challenge to achieve these objectives. This article addresses identifying and analyzing the WSS structures based on the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) Framework, which provides a multidimensional conceptual map that combines levels of macro and micro situations. Databases from the National Sanitation Information System (SNIS) and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) were cross-referenced to evaluate the structures that exist in the provision of WSS, focusing on municipalities located in the metropolitan regions and urban agglomerations of Brazil. It is possible to conclude that the IAD Framework helps to clarify the actors, its functions, responsibilities, and the interactions between them, as well as the exogenous factors and how they influence the action arena, reaching recommendations, supported by a Delphi approach, such as to improve industry regulation in terms of governance and regulatory governance. HIGHLIGHTS The governance of the WSS is complex.; It is essential to understand the actors, forms of interaction, and the exogenous factors to promote the necessary institutional arrangements in the sector.; The IAD Framework aims at the enhancement of the sector planning, highlighting the cooperation between the actors.; The new Brazilian sanitation framework stimulates better practices of governance and regulatory governance.;
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