São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are running out of drinking water owing to an extended drought and disjointed water-resource planning in Brazil. To avert social, economic and political disruption, scientific information must be translated more effectively into water policy.

For example, industrial sectors need information on how to adapt hardware, methods and practices to mitigate the water shortage; state and regional governments need guidance on economic-development models that are tailored to the capacities of regional freshwater ecosystems.

Educating the public and all stakeholders in water usage is a priority, and is a primary function of Brazil's International Centre for Education, Capacity Building and Applied Research in Water (HidroEX). Political organizations must promote responsible water use, as is proving successful in California.