WATER RESOURCES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

Virtually all the world's increased population will have to find employment in urban areas as developments in agricultural technology, together with the high ratio of people to land area in many low income countries, will force many people living in rural areas to move to the cities. This will lead to the expansion of urban areas and increased demands on urban infrastructure. Much of the effort to raise living standards in the developing countries involves deliberately modifying the natural environment. Although the magnitude of the loss in ecological value varies, there is a real cost to society in the long run, and this is causing the 'economic' view to be revised. This paper discusses general aspects of the subject, and Brazilian water resources policy in particular.