Environmental Sanitation in the São Paulo Macrometropolis in View of Climate Change

In order to meet its progressive demands for water, energy, and food, the SPMM is highly dependent on the ecosystem services produced by the more peripheral areas of its territory. Yet, without having at its disposal an adequate governance structure to deal with wicked problems, aggravated, inter-alia, by increased climate variability, this chapter elaborates, based on theoretical concepts of multilevel, polycentric, participatory, and collaborative governance, a theoretical framework to analyze the institutional design and governance practices in environmental sanitation and, based on two case studies, aims to reveal structures, strategies, and challenges in water and sanitation governance in the SPMM. The chapter concludes with a general reflection on potentials and barriers to implementing environmental and adaptive governance to turn SPMM more resilient and sustainable.