Strengthening river basins and combating water scarcity in large urban centers in Brazil are the objectives of the public call launched by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). The total value is up to R$120 million, of which R$60 million will be financed by BNDES and the rest by public or private partners.  Related news: BNDES announces R$500 million for flood protection works in BH. World Water Day: entities warn about the loss of Cerrado waters. For the president of BNDES, Aloízio Mercadante, it is urgent to prepare cities for a scenario of a reduction of up to 40% in water availability in several Brazilian regions. “By restoring springs, riparian forests and river basins that supply large metropolises, we are investing in resilience and climate adaptation and ensuring water security for millions of Brazilians,” he said.   Mercadante stressed that this is the orientation of President Lula's government: “to face climate change by protecting those who need it most”. Projects Projects will be supported directly in the metropolitan regions of São Paulo, Baixada Santista, Rio de Janeiro, Federal District and satellite cities, in addition to Fortaleza, Cuiabá, Porto Velho and Rio Branco. They will also be the subject of the so-called regions that positively impact the river basins that make up their water supply system.  The National Water Agency (ANA) identified among the critical areas municipalities with a high risk of shortages, water sources affected by pollution and basins in a water alert situation. Projects with investments between R$15 million and R$20 million will be selected, with an execution period of up to 48 months. Proposals must necessarily include ecological or productive restoration actions with native vegetation in springs and river banks, contributing to environmental recovery and improving the quality of water resources. The selected projects may be implemented in conservation units (UCs), permanent preservation areas (APPs) and Legal Reserves (RL) in rural properties with up to four fiscal modules and in agrarian reform settlements, indigenous territories (TIs), quilombolas and other traditional communities, in addition to urban public areas, highlighted the BNDES, through its press office. Legal entities under private, non-profit law and under federal and state public law, such as Foundations, may participate in the public call, and may present network projects with two or more organizations working in partnership. The criteria that will be evaluated by BNDES are:  Alignment with public policies,  Positive impact on biodiversity,  Technical capacity of the proposing institutions,  Quality of the proposal,  Counterpart volume Potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and  Water quality recovery  Projects will have a period of 90 days to submit proposals.  The selection committee will be composed of BNDES, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and institutions supporting the initiative.