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Water Law In The United States And Brazil - Climate Change And Two Approaches To Emerging Water Poverty, David N. Cassuto, Rômulo S. R. Sampaio

David N Cassuto

This article examines two of the major water legal regimes in theAmericas—that of Brazil and the United States. Both countries haveextensive wet and dry regions and both hydro-regimes face a significantthreat from global warming. Brazil, for instance, is home to betweeneight and fifteen percent of the world’s fresh water, and its fast-growingeconomy and population present major challenges in management andallocation. The U.S. also faces major water allocation problems resultingfrom past settlement policies; unsustainable reclamation projects; andalso fast-growing domestic, industrial and agricultural demand. In the United States, water has traditionally been perceived as arenewable and limitless resource, a cultural legacy that …