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Introduction. The northeast Brazil region (NEB, defined as the land area in 7–21 S, 36–47 W; Fig. 13.1 a) has experienced a remarkable drought during the 5-year period between 2012–16 (Fig. 13.1 c). The NEB encompasses the largest regional water supply system of Brazil, the São Francisco River Basin (SFRB), which is of great importance not solely for human consumption, but also for agricultural and hydropower production. During the 2012–16 drought, this system suffered major impacts due to water shortages affecting several sectors. Southern NEB experiences the wet season during austral summer and the dry season during austral winter. Central NEB has a semiarid climate with reduced precipitation, relative to the rest of Brazil, during all seasons. Northern NEB experiences the wet season during austral autumn and is predominantly dry during the other seasons. The region is prone to frequent droughts …