Observations on the rains and floods in Rio Grande do Sul

Recently, the state of Rio Grande do Sul was hit by heavy rains that caused a series of floods in several cities in the region. These floods resulted in major losses, from the total destruction of homes to, sadly, the loss of many lives, bringing to light chronic failures in the flood control infrastructure.

But it's not just today that these climatic impacts and terrible losses have hit the state. In 1941 and again in 1967, historic floods had already warned of the need to prepare and protect against floods. However, the current scenario is different: the state has grown considerably in population (social) and economic terms, which naturally also causes a much greater impact.

To better understand the situation, it's important to look back and analyze Rio Grande do Sul's biome, infrastructure and risk management policies. The state is characterized by many meandering rivers and also many mountain rivers, which have higher water flow speeds than lowland rivers. When these rivers meet the plain, such as near Baía dos Patos in the Porto Alegre region, the water tends to stop, accumulate and spread out, due to the decrease in flow speed.

Several municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul were created on the bends and banks of these rivers, due to the creation of dams and improvements that made this possible, conveying a sense of security to the population. These municipalities grew without proper and adequate flood containment measures - characteristic of the region - being taken.

In the 1970s, the flood containment system for the Guaíba and Gravataí rivers was inaugurated. However, after more than five decades, the lack of maintenance and investment has left the system vulnerable and ineffective, not working as it should. It went so far as to adopt palliative solutions, such as placing sandbags behind and in front of the steel gates to reinforce the seal, which proved insufficient to contain the water.

All this history reveals "one foot at the root of the problem": negligence and lack of attention to infrastructure and sustainable development. The economy is one of the pillars of sustainable development, and should be used precisely to ensure the care, planning, analysis and maintenance of the environment, both the built and the natural. Both are historically interconnected and depend on a harmonious working together that takes into account both the past and the ongoing effort to meet their needs.

These are not problems that can be solved overnight: investment is needed in emergency and evacuation plans, as well as long-term policies to prevent future damage. Many of these are already being discussed, but during the crisis it is difficult to find a solution.

We should also highlight the problem of the inadequate allocation of public funds, which has mostly gone to parliamentary amendments, with no money left over for major works, and room for state governments to receive money from the federal government and carry out the works.

So let this be a lesson and a lesson for us to start taking precautionary measures, to look at what is so necessary and what we have neglected. Several regions along the coast of the country, inhabited by large communities, people at risk, believing for their safety, lacking information or without a plan to build their lives elsewhere... These regions really need effective plans and strategies to deal with these extreme climatic effects. It is essential that we think urgently about adapting cities to the impacts of climate change, as this is likely to happen more frequently.

Sending resources, aid, in whatever form, is undeniably essential, but we must, as a society, demand such changes in behavior from the government, such needs - once we have information and awareness of what is happening, which I stress, was already known to the government for a long time, we must demand measures, pressure government leaders to adopt changes that prepare cities to manage climate risks and are effectively sustainable.

Realize what cannot be seen with the eyes.

By Sabrina Chabab Piva

São Paulo, May 13, 2024

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