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Friday, July 10, 2026

Living with scarcity: Researching Bauru, Brazil’s hidden water systems

by Fernanda Souto Barreto and Fernando Schuh Rörig, International Visiting Graduate Students at the University of Waterloo

This article brings together the work of two graduate students studying water scarcity in Bauru, Brazil, from complementary perspectives. One examines the fragile groundwater systems beneath the city and the risks created by aging infrastructure. The other investigates how households cope when the formal water supply becomes unreliable. Together, their research reveals how hidden water systems, both underground and within homes, are sustaining the city, while also creating new risks and inequities.

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