• Conservation
In the outskirts of São Paulo, there is a noticeable lack of urban sanitation and the presence of open sewage. Combined with the frequent flooding caused by the city’s soil impermeabilization, these factors spread throughout the region, leading to serious health problems related to diseases such as leptospirosis. They also further intensify social inequalities and worsen mobility conditions, as the excess water (often contaminated with waste) floods the streets. Therefore, it is essential to address both issues, as they negatively impact the population’s quality of life and are directly related to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), which aim to improve urban living and democratize access to the fundamental right of sanitation.
• Education
As described by Silva, Jorge et al. (2020), the major issue of flooding is closely linked to the lack of basic sanitation, which can lead, for example, to clogged sewage pipes and eventual overflow, causing diseases such as leptospirosis. According to Santos, Yara et al. (2018), leptospirosis was responsible for more than 4,500 infections potentially fatal to humans, adding even greater relevance to the topic.
• Community
Currently, Brazil faces a severe lack of basic sanitation for its most vulnerable and marginalized populations
Restoration
“The right to sanitation is indispensable for human survival. However, broad and equal access to this fundamental right for the entire population is still not a reality in Brazil. This highlights the essential role of the State in defining, guiding, and acting in favor of basic sanitation, in accordance with the pillars of a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable infrastructure.”
— Neuri Freitas, President of the Brazilian Association of State Sanitation Companies (Aesbe) and of the Ceará Water and Sewage Company (Cagece), Folha de S.Paulo
Protection
“The data show that wherever sanitation exists, we truly see a transformation in people’s lives. The reality of the country today is as follows: 35 million people lack access to treated water, and 100 million people have no access to sewage collection and treatment.”
— Luana Pretto, CEO of Trata Brasil
What are the experts saying?
Each initiative is structured to maximize
helping our community
Programs
The universalization of basic sanitation is one of the main challenges faced by global metropolises in ensuring quality of life, public health, and the regeneration of rivers—both in urban and rural areas. Basic sanitation is a human right established by the United Nations and guaranteed by the Brazilian Constitution, encompassing water supply, sewage collection and treatment, urban cleaning, solid waste management, and drainage.
— Victor Kanashiro and Pedro Roberto Jacobi, Institute of Advanced Studies (IEA), University of São Paulo
Volunteer Opportunities
In the State of São Paulo, according to data from the National Sanitation Information System (SNIS, 2022), 2.16 million people lack adequate access to water—representing 4.9% of the state’s population—and more than 4.23 million people have no access to sewage collection, equivalent to 9.5% of the population.
— Victor Kanashiro and Pedro Roberto Jacobi, Institute of Advanced Studies (IEA), University of São Paulo
