Mercantilização da Água no Brasil? Cessão Onerosa de Direitos de Uso como Instrumento de Política Hídrica
Keywords:
Governança da água; Cessão onerosa; Instrumentos econômicos.Abstract
SUMMARY: The use of market instruments in water resource management has expanded in several countries, driven by the search for greater allocative efficiency, flexible use and the attraction of private investment. In Brazil, with the aim of guaranteeing water security and promoting financial resources for the maintenance of water works, the federal government instituted Bill No. 4,546/2021. However, this proposal raises criticisms about the commodification of water, the exclusion of vulnerable users and the risks to ecological sustainability. Thus, this article aims to analyze the proposal for the onerous transfer of water use rights in Brazil, in light of Bill No. 4,546/2021. Based on a multidisciplinary approach, based on economic schools (Classical, Neoclassical, Institutionalist and Regulatory), the potential and risks of introducing market mechanisms into Brazilian water governance are discussed. The analysis is complemented by a comparison with international experiences in countries such as Australia, Chile, Spain and the United States, showing that the results of these instruments are directly related to institutional robustness, regulatory clarity and the protection of priority water uses. It is concluded that, although onerous transfer can contribute to efficiency in water allocation, its adoption in Brazil should be conditioned on social participation, transparent public regulation and the preservation of equal access to the resource.
Keywords: Water governance; Onerous transfer; Economic instruments.
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