In Search of Social Justice in the New Arrangement of Water Services in the City of São Paulo

Although located in a tropical region with high rainfall, São Paulo faces severe water scarcity related to its high population density and political decisions on who has access to it. The UN classifies a region as experiencing water scarcity when its annual availability is less than 1,500 m³ per inhabitant; in 2021, São Paulo had less than 125 m³ per inhabitant. One need not be an expert to see the exponential rise in climate change and extreme events reflected in changes to hydrological cycles. We face a contradictory situation of excess and scarcity – worsening floods alongside increasing water shortages. While geographers focusing on mitigation pathways have addressed water availability issues, the matter remains underexplored within urban political sociology.

The alarming averages mask even more striking variations, particularly affecting low-income populations in precarious urban settlements, who faced water access challenges long before they became a public concern. In these cases, the risk of excess is evident in the material losses caused by storms. Scarcity, in turn, arises from a technical-political choice by its water supplier – Sabesp – to reduce water pressure at the system's edges, often coinciding with urban peripheries. At the same time, residents cannot afford private supply options like water tanks.

Amidst this scenario, in 2024, Sabesp was privatised, contrary to civil society organisations advocating for water as a universal right. Introducing this private actor adds further layers to an already complex water governance system that overlaps different federal and decision-making entities. In climate uncertainty, how can we ensure that low-income populations access water within a financialised framework post-privatization? This research combines interviews, document analysis, and quantitative data to analyse Sabesp´s Concession Agreement contract with the municipality of São Paulo, identifying and discussing whether we have mechanisms to ensure water access for those unattractive to the market.