São Paulo, Brazil's megalopolis and Latin America's most populous urban area, is facing a severe water crisis as the region experiences the lowest rainfall in a decade, causing its main reservoir to shrink into mere streams surrounded by cracked earth. The city, home to 22 million people, has long been vulnerable to water shortages, ranking alongside cities like Mexico City, Cape Town, and Chennai.
According to Brazil's meteorological agency, INMET, São Paulo has faced three consecutive years of below-average rainfall, contributing to the ongoing crisis. The country's water and sanitation agency, ANA, reports that the city's primary reservoir, which supplies water to nine million people, is now operating at less than 18% of its capacity. This situation is approaching levels seen during a devastating drought in 2014 when São Paulo's reservoirs teetered on the brink of collapse.
The reservoir's surface is largely dry, with only small streams of water crossing it, and the surrounding earth is cracked and parched. "From August onward, the water kept dropping and dropping. It's very frightening, every day we see it shrinking," said Daniel Bacci, owner of an inn near the Jaguari–Jacarei reservoir. "There was a little rain last week, but it wasn't enough to raise the water level."
The reservoir's surface is largely dry, with only small streams of water crossing it, and the surrounding earth is cracked and parched
In response to the dwindling water supply, the São Paulo state government announced new rationing measures in October, which could see water pressure in pipelines reduced for up to 16 hours a day, compared to 12 hours previously. If the reservoir reaches near-zero levels, rolling water shutdowns will be implemented across various regions.
The situation in São Paulo echoes a growing global concern about water scarcity in densely populated areas facing extreme drought conditions. In recent years, cities like Cape Town and Chennai have faced similar crises, while in 2023, residents of Montevideo, Uruguay, turned to bottled water as their reservoirs dropped to dangerously low levels.
Despite being home to 12% of the world's freshwater, Brazil's water supply is unevenly distributed, with much of it located in the Amazon rainforest rather than in major urban centers. In addition to the drought, issues such as pollution, rapid urban growth, and aging infrastructure have exacerbated the problem, putting millions of residents at risk of severe water shortages.
