This article summarized some of the reflections included in the book to be published in 2016 entitled “Integrated and Participatory Water Management in Brazil and Spain: an analysis of comparative law”. This note aims to summarize the historical context of water policy, as well as some aspects of the actual legal framework for water management and policy development, with emphasis on the integrated and participatory management instruments adopted in both countries. The analysis model is based on Brazilian legal system of water management, from which it will investigate how the Spanish system targeted the issues. In short, this comparative study notes that the Spanish water management model, possessing more dogmatic and doctrinal base, can be a good reference for overcoming the challenges of water management in Brazil.