Every year, 6.5 billion cubic metres of water are wasted in the urban distribution systems in Brazil. That represents approximately 39% of all the water treated for consumption in the country. To reverse this situation, the Less Loss, More Water Movement (Movimento Menos Perda, Mais Água in Portuguese) was created to reduce water losses in distribution systems. Launched in Brazil, this UN Global Compact Network Brazil initiative was led by the companies Braskem and SANASA. The Movement aims to enhance the efficiency of water distribution until 2030. In attendance to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 6 “to ensure access to water and sanitation for all”, the focus is to reduce the number of people affected by water shortages in Brazil. The UN Global Compact Network Brazil articulated the design of the Less Loss, More Water Movement with the private sector, civil society, and public companies. Promoting debates on the issue, calculating targets, understanding the situation of municipalities and building capacity to deal with the water problems will be the Brazilian Network’s line of action leading to 2030.

Project Results

The current project idea aims to reinforce and encourage capacity building along with a broader debate with the participation of government, civil society and the private sector on sustainable water management, with particular focus on improving water use in different sectors in order to reduce the levels of losses in distribution systems. This action also aims to be a preparatory step towards the adoption and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the long run in Brazil, especially towards the SDG 6, "Ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all." Expected Project Outcomes: First Semester of 2018: Update the study on water losses in the distribution systems carried out by Instituto Trata Brasil in 2013, and recognize the cities with the best performance in the management of water losses in distribution systems; Engage new companies leading sectors and complementary profiles and validate the goals set for the second half of 2018 with the new leading companies in the Management Committee; Define the strategy of attracting external resources with the use of third parties; Constitute the Multistakeholder Council. Second Semester of 2018: Prepare and approve the goals of the Movement with the Management and Multistakeholder Council for the period 2019-2023.