Water policy implementation in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: Key challenges and opportunities

•An effective implementation of integrated water policies is a challenge across nations.•There are different levels of involvement in water resources management among stakeholders from different levels and sectors.•Political, institutional and governance challenges are more important than technical and financial.•Better understanding of roles and responsibilities are required for effective water policy implementation.•Better coordination among levels and sectors and enhanced interactions are needed. Challenges in implementing water planning and management are common, and the effective implementation of integrated water policies is yet to occur. In Brazil, the state of São Paulo enacted a Water Act in 1991 to ensure water availability for current and future generations based on the principles of decentralization, participation and integration. This research addresses water policy implementation issues by conducting an exploratory case study in the state of São Paulo. Factors affecting the water policy implementation process were analyzed, together with some water resources management practices. The findings indicate four dimensions of key challenges: institutional and governance, political, financial and technical. The stakeholders believe the political and the institutional and governance challenges are more important than the technical and financial ones. Additionally, the results show different levels of involvement in the areas of water policy strategy, the planning and decision-making process, and implementation by the different stakeholders groups. Stakeholders external to the water sector and from local government were considered to be less involved in water-related issues, when compared with stakeholders from the water sector. The study recommends a change in current institutional and governance arrangements in order to influence decisions and investments in different levels and sectors.