In this episode of Investing in Regeneration, Mónica Altamirano de Jong sits down with Ana Carolina Argolo, Director at Brazil’s National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANA), to explore one of the most ambitious institutional reforms in Latin America’s infrastructure sector: Brazil’s new water and sanitation framework.

Together, they unpack how Brazil is moving from a fragmented and uncertain system toward a coordinated, investment-oriented model designed to achieve universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation by 2033. Ana explains how regulatory clarity, regional coordination, and long-term planning are helping unlock billions in private investment while strengthening public accountability, social inclusion, and environmental resilience.

From public-private collaboration to place-based investment blueprints, this episode reveals why water governance -by bringing all actors in right relationship with each other- is ultimately about building institutions capable of sustaining long-term resilience beyond political cycles.

▶️ Brazil’s Water & Sanitation Reform: Building Universal Access Through Governance & Investment

00:00:00 Introduction to Investing in Regeneration

00:05:59 Brazil’s New Water & Sanitation Framework

00:09:18 The Role of the Private Sector in Universal Access

00:12:09 The Theory of Change Behind the Reform

00:15:08 Ana’s Journey into Water Governance

00:20:43 Coordinating Stakeholders Across the Investment Cycle

00:25:25 ANA’s Expanded Regulatory Mandate

00:30:44 Lessons Learned from Six Years of Reform

00:34:35 Financing Models, PPPs & Investment Structures

00:41:30 Water, Human Dignity & Economic Resilience

00:46:05 Standardizing Principles Without Homogenizing Realities

00:50:38 Beyond the Public vs Private Debate

Notable Quote:

“ Brazil is a continental country with very unequal realities, so implementing capacity is still uneven across the regions in Brazil. But what is also important is that the sector now has a clearer direction, a stronger institutional coordination, and long-term targets that are helping to align public and private actors around a common agenda.” - Ana Carolina Argolo

Connect with Ana:

📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-carolina-argolo/

💻 Website: https://www.gov.br/ana/en

Connect with Mónica:

📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/altamiranomonicaa/

💻 Website: https://altamira-regen.com/

Produced by Ideablossoms