Sanitary Engineering Structure and Prerequisite in Minas Gerais, Brazil

In many aspects Brazil is a role model for other newly industrialized countries. Regarding the water issue Brazil is characterized by disparities. On the one hand it accounts for the greater part of the Amazon River Basin and, therefore, mainly disposes of roughly twelve percent of the world's freshwater resources. On the other hand, large intra-country water deficit regions make a decent water supply for the local population difficult. Typical for newly industrialized countries is the contrast of the infrastructure supply degree in general between urban agglomerations and the vast rural periphery. Especially for the water supply the most relevant aspects are identified in this article focusing on the Brazilian province of Minas Gerais. This contribution is based on research for the project "Conception and Introduction of Decentralized, Mobile Drinking Water Treatment Units in Brazil" undertaken by the Grünbeck Wasseraufbereitung GmbH and the Department of Sanitary Engineering and Waste Management, Institute of Hydro Sciences, University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich. Grünbeck's Brazilian partner is the utility company of Minas Gerais, COPASA. The project is co-financed by the Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG) with means from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The article "Decentralized Water Treatment Know How for Brazilian Experts" describing the project structure is part of this gwf issue.