Abstract

RODRIGUES, Maria da Conceição Alves; NOGUEIRA, Carla  and  PINTO, Hugo. Social innovations for sustainable water use: small-scale experiences in Lajedo de Timbaúba (Brazil) and Tamera (Portugal). CIDADES [online]. 2023, n.sp23, pp.55-73.  Epub Apr 10, 2023. ISSN 2182-3030.  https://doi.org/10.15847/cct.28095.

Water is the most valuable resource on the planet. Currently, and due to the climate crisis, contemporary societies are faced with structural challenges due to the scarcity of water resources. Traditional ways of managing this resource have not been able to respond to these challenges. Therefore, it is necessary to reflect on social innovative approaches that can contribute to a sustainable transition where water represents an unavoidable dimension. This article argues that water should be managed in an integrated way, with the articulation of different actors so that solutions can take into account territorial specificities and individuals' needs. In this sense, the article mobilises two case studies - the Lajedo de Timbaúba community (Brazil) and the Tamera community (Portugal) - located in territories that recurrently suffer from drought situations to analyse their water retention and management strategies, categorising them as social innovations. The analysis reveals that these small-scale experiences - defined as niches - play a predominant role as places where innovative practices with potential for scalability emerge.

Keywords : social innovation; water resources management; sustainable communities; Brazil; Portugal.

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