Greater S‹o Paulo is home to 20 million people Ð one in ten Brazilians; it is the largest city in Brazil and one of the most water-stressed cities in Latin America. S‹o PauloÕs most important watersheds Ð the Piracicaba, Capivari, Jundiai (PCJ), Upper Tiete and Para’ba do Sul Ð have experienced severe deforestation which increases water pollution, fills reservoirs more quickly with eroded soil, and increases the severity of floods and droughts. In recent years, the city has faced a severe water crisis causing a significant change in water consumption habits. More than 17 million inhabitants live in the PCJ, Upper Tiet and Para’ba do Sul watersheds Ðhome to more than 30% of BrazilÕs GDP. The Cantareira System provides around 50% of water for the S‹o Paulo Metropolitan Region (about 8 million people) and is the main source for an additional 3.5 million people in the PCJ watershed. From 2014-2015, the system experienced the worst drought in the last century. There are 76 municipalities within the PCJ watershed, of which 62 are located in the region's drainage areas of the watersheds. The S‹o Paulo Water Fund, created in 2007, is proving that green infrastructure is key to improving gray infrastructure efficiency and unlocking natureÕs power to produce and regulate water. Green and grey infrastructure are a needed combination to meet water security objectives. TNC has been working with various municipalities to implement NBS projects that directly benefit water management. The most renowned example is the work done with the municipality of Extrema, through the "Conservador das çguas Program." This program worked to: increase the forest cover and implement ecological micro-corridors in the hydrographic sub-basins; ; reduce the levels of diffuse rural pollution, resulting from the processes of sedimentation and eutrophication and the lack of environmental sanitation; and implement integrated management of vegetation, soil and water in the hydrographic basin of the Jaguari River (the main basin that supplies the Metropolitan Region of S‹o Paulo). To guarantee the socio-economic and environmental sustainability of the Program, the Water Fund established Payment for Environmental Services (PES) with rural landowners and other financial tools. . Who is TNC and TNCÕs Principles of Corporate Engagement The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at unprecedented scale, and helping make cities more sustainable with ambitious 2030 goals. Working in more than 72 countries, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org. For more information on TNCÕs 2030 Goals, go here: https://tnc.box.com/s/bcuyuinrtbdbesovxy5fr51h22amr3tc TNCÕs Principles of Corporate Engagement All of TNCÕs corporate engagements must have conservation benefits with lasting, measurable outcomes, and a direct connection to our mission. Please review our Principles of Corporate Engagement, which all engagements must meet: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/how-we-work/working-with-companies/corporate-principles/