An exclusive survey by CEBDS reveals that the water crisis is no longer a future risk and is already impacting the Brazilian productive sector.
Water scarcity in the locations where they operate is already the biggest water challenge for 55% of Brazilian companies. This data is part of the study "Water Management in the Business Sector," prepared by the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) with its member companies, and reveals that the water crisis has moved beyond the realm of future risk: it is already affecting the daily operations of the productive sector.
The survey reinforces the scale of the problem: 80% of the associated companies have already faced problems related to water scarcity or quality, while 75% have operations with high or very high dependence on water resources. Furthermore, 40% of the companies indicate that their suppliers have also faced some type of water problem—a sign that vulnerability extends throughout the entire production chain.
“Water security has ceased to be merely an environmental agenda and has taken on a central role in companies' strategies. Ensuring continuous access to water in adequate quantity and quality is fundamental for the continuity of operations, for the stability of production chains, and for the resilience of territories,” stated Juliana Lopes, Technical Director of Nature and Society at CEBDS.
Given this scenario, Brazilian companies have incorporated water into corporate governance and increased investments in water efficiency, reuse, and watershed restoration. The main motivator: 831% of the companies surveyed cite mitigating the risk of business interruption as the central reason for investing in water management—the same proportion that highlights operational efficiency gains and cost reduction as direct benefits of these initiatives.
The CEBDS study indicated that the cost of an operational disruption caused by water scarcity or poor water quality often exceeds the investment needed to increase water efficiency or implement reuse and conservation technologies.
During COP30, at the end of 2025, CEBDS launched a new edition of the Brazilian Business Commitment to Water Security, which had its first edition in 2018 and is now updated with targets for the period 2026–2030. Among the commitments established are:
- Incorporate water issues into corporate strategy and governance by 2030, considering risks and opportunities;
- To integrate or support collaborative water security initiatives in river basins with higher risk;
- To increase supplier engagement in protecting water resources;
- To conduct water footprint analyses and establish consumption reduction targets;
- To achieve a positive water balance in at least one river basin where the company operates by 2032.
Examples that are already working: the Brazil Solutions portfolio
Business initiatives in water management are gaining even more visibility through Brasil de Soluções, a portfolio organized by CEBDS that brings together business projects with a proven positive impact on climate, nature, and sustainable development in different regions of the country. The document was delivered to the president of COP30, Ambassador André Correa do Lago, as a concrete contribution from the Brazilian private sector to the global climate agenda, during COP30.
Among the water-focused projects that make up the portfolio, the following stand out:
- Reclaimed Water from Vitória (GS Inima): With an investment of R$ 250 million, the project produces reclaimed water for industrial activities, annually preserving the equivalent of approximately 4,900 Olympic-sized swimming pools of raw water and reducing pressure on natural water sources.
- Regenerative Agriculture (PepsiCo): Through technological innovation in potato production, the program achieved a reduction of 20.3% in water consumption per ton produced, in addition to improvements in soil health and increased productivity.
- Protector of the Waters (Philip Morris Brazil): Working to recover water resources in the Arroio Andréas sub-basin, in Vera Cruz (RS), the program benefits around 26,000 residents and has contributed to almost doubling water production in the region over 15 years — from 48 liters per second to 95 liters per second, even during periods of drought.
Where can the sector still evolve?
Despite the progress, the CEBDS study indicates that there is significant room for growth. Although 70% of the associated companies already support projects to expand the availability and improve the quality of water in scarce regions, 30% have not yet initiated this type of engagement. Other bottlenecks identified:
- Only 40% of companies monitor water risks in the supply chain — a significant blind spot given the growing vulnerability of the production chain;
- 20% of companies still point to difficulties in implementing water efficiency technologies, indicating that innovation and technical training remain open frontiers;
- The integration of water issues into corporate governance, while growing, is not yet universal — which signals the need to broaden institutional commitment to the water agenda.
