HOW TO COPE WITH EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS IN BRAZILIAN CITIES

HOW TO COPE WITH EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS IN BRAZILIAN CITIES Fernando Alcoforado* This article aims to demonstrate that there are solutions that can be adopted by Brazilian governments at all levels (federal, state and municipal) to protect Brazilian cities affected by extreme weather events as a result of global warming and the consequent global climate change that tends to be catastrophic. For a long time now we have been publishing articles through various websites and videos through the Fernando Alcoforado YouTube channel dealing with the planning of cities in order to make them sustainable and intelligent and, above all, so that they can deal with extreme weather events with the occurrence of floods, gales and rising sea levels. Floods have been recurring in Brazilian cities. These events reveal that public authorities do not plan Brazilian cities rationally with the appropriate use of Engineering, among other essential measures. This article was prepared based on the conclusions of the articles we published, which are described below: 1. Como preparar as cidades contra eventos climáticos extremos (How to prepare cities against extreme weather events), published on 02/09/2019, on the website <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/como-preparar-cidades-contra-eventosclim%25C3%25A1ticos-fernandoalcoforado/?trackingId=1CNFzD%2FbTDq3or%2BI2yn%2Beg%3D%3D>. 2. A engenharia como solução para evitar alagamentos, enchentes e inundações nas cidades (Engineering as a solution to avoid flooding, floods and floods in cities), published on 03/04/2022, on the website <https://www.academia.edu/73034301/A_ENGENHARIA_COMO_SOLU%C3%87% C3%83O_PARA_EVITAR_ALAGAMENTOS_ENCHENTES_E_INUNDA%C3%87 %C3%95ES_NAS_CIDADES>. 3. Sustentabilidade na gestão de inundações (Sustainability in flood management), published on 10/15/2022, on the website <https://www.academia.edu/88528085/SUSTENTABILIDADE_NA_GEST%C3%83O _DE_INUNDA%C3%87%C3%95ES>. 4. Como o governo do Brasil poderá tornar as cidades brasileiras sustentáveis e inteligentes (How the Brazilian government can make Brazilian cities sustainable and intelligent), published on 03/04/2023, on the website <https://pt.linkedin.com/pulse/como-o-governo-do-brasil-poder%C3%A1-tornarcidades-ealcoforado#:~:text=Para%20alcan%C3%A7ar%20a%20condi%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20 de,adequada%20e%20a%20reciclagem%20de>. The various articles we published addressing the topic of flooding in cities contributed to my being invited by Professor Saeid Eslamian to write Chapter 2 (Sustainability in Flood Management) of the Flood Handbook - Impacts and Management of 547 pages prepared under the coordination of Professors Saeid Eslamian and Faezeh Eslamian and published by Editora CRC PRESS (Boca Raton, London and New York). 1 In all these articles we publish, we emphasize that the extreme weather events that are repeated in various cities in Brazil reveal the incompetence and irresponsibility of public authorities in not planning Brazilian cities to deal with floods. In the world, Floods are responsible for the deaths of almost twice as many people as tornadoes and hurricanes combined. An important impact resulting from flash flooding is landslides. In Brazil, landslides caused by rain occur throughout the national territory and are more common during the summer months. In Brazil, 5.7% of its territory presents a very high risk for this type of mass movement. The South and Southeast regions concentrate the largest number of areas at high risk of landslides. One of the most affected areas is the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro. This is due to the fact that this season of the year is the wettest in the country, with recurrent and intense rainfall in several regions. In addition to the natural causes associated with this phenomenon, disorderly and unplanned urbanization has increased its occurrence with constructions carried out on the slopes of hills and mountains, places that are already highly susceptible to mass movements. In this process, the low-income population, which does not have sufficient means to buy or rent a house in the central areas of the city, moves to peripheral areas and areas at greater risk, such as hillsides. Residences, businesses and other establishments are located there, which adds weight to the soil. Added to this is the removal of vegetation cover to open areas for construction, which causes the removal of the soil's natural protection against the direct impact of rainwater. In addition to the risks of landslides, we have, in Brazil, the risk of dam failures. Of the 24 thousand dams in Brazil, only 780 have undergone inspection, according to the National Water Agency (ANA) based on data from 2017. Brazil has 156 dams in critical condition spread across the country according to the National Water Agency (ANA). In Brazil, there are 780 mining tailings dams such as the one in Brumadinho (MG), which was the deadliest accident ever recorded by the mining sector in Brazil, with 241 fatalities. On November 5, 2015, the tailings dam in the district of Bento Rodrigues, in Mariana, MG released 50 to 60 million cubic meters of mud equivalent to the volume of Pão de Açúcar in Rio de Janeiro, which has 48 million meters cubic. In Salvador, almost half of the population lives in areas at risk of landslides and flooding, says the IBGE. Salvador leads the Northeast ranking with the largest number of people living in areas at risk of landslides and flooding. The capital of Bahia occupies 3rd place in the ranking in the entire country. The disorderly occupation in the city is considered one of the causes of the disasters that have already caused many deaths. According to the Civil Defense of Salvador (Codesal), Salvador has 400 risk areas and, in these locations, there are more than a thousand danger points. In addition to these problems, the population of Salvador suffers from a lack of water drainage infrastructure, which contributes to the occurrence of flooding. Salvador does not have an efficient water drainage system. There is a lack of public investment in Salvador's urban infrastructure. To cope with extreme weather events in Brazilian cities, flood control must be carried out. Flood control concerns all methods used to reduce or prevent the harmful effects of water action. Prevention and correction measures to minimize damage caused by floods are classified, according to their nature, into structural and non-structural measures. Structural measures correspond to work that can be implemented by carrying out engineering works aimed at correcting and/or preventing problems arising from flooding. Non-structural measures are those that seek to prevent and/or reduce the damage and consequences of flooding, not 2 through the execution of engineering works, but through the introduction of standards, regulations and programs that aim, for example, to regulate the use and occupation of land city soil, implementation of alert systems and public awareness. Non-structural measures can be effective at lower costs and longer horizons, as well as seeking to discipline territorial occupation, people's behavior and economic activities. By delimiting areas subject to flooding depending on the risk, it is possible to establish zoning and the respective regulations for construction, or for possible individual protection works (such as the installation of floodgates, watertight doors and others) to be included in existing buildings. Likewise, some areas may be expropriated to be used as squares, parks, parking lots and other uses. Non-structural measures, such as warning systems, can reduce expected damage in the short term, with small investments. It is a false dilemma to choose between structural and non-structural measures to deal with flooding. We must opt for both measures. Non-structural measures should be taken in conjunction with structural measures as a precaution against the latter's failure to do so. The engineering works that can prevent and mitigate the effects of flooding in cities are as follows: 1) Construction of large swimming pools which are large underground water tanks to store water; 2) Mandatory placement of permeable drainage floors in huge parking lots in shopping malls, supermarkets and cinemas, to allow water infiltration into part of the soil, with the same action being taken for monuments and spaces around buildings; 3) Use of drains and gutters around all houses to divert rainwater to a reservoir or disposal area; 4) Maintenance, whenever possible, of some green areas so that water is absorbed by the soil; 5) Rectification of rivers and streams, construction of dams and canals on large rivers that extend their containment basins; 6) Meteorological monitoring of the city's climate to identify the occurrence of extreme events; and, 7) Implementation of a civil defense system that must be able to at least alert people with sirens and have a scheme to remove them from their homes in time with some belongings and accommodate them. Taking care to avoid flooding in urban areas consists of: 1) keeping streets and sidewalks always clean; 2) clean and unclog drains and rainwater drainage; 3) keep rain channels free of tree branches and leaves to avoid clogging and, consequently, water backflow; 4) place garbage bags on the sidewalks only close to the moment the garbage collection truck arrives, preventing them from being pulled into the drain when it rains; 5) have a drainage pump on hand if flooding cannot be avoided; and 6) use Dutch and British flood-proof technology as a floating amphibious home that allows it to float in the same way as a boat. Global warming and the consequent global climate change, which tends to worsen, are contributing to the occurrence of intense rains and floods across the planet. Due to global warming, the atmosphere retains more moisture, which means that when rain clouds become dense, more water is released. By the end of the 21st century, storms of great magnitude will be more frequent, according to a study published by the journal Geophysical Research Letters, using computer simulations. The floods that devastated some cities in western and southern Germany, Henan in China and London in England in 2020 demonstrate the vulnerability of highly populated areas of the world to catastrophic flooding. The catastrophic floods that swept through Europe and China are a wake-up call that stronger dams, dikes and drainage systems are as urgent as long-term prevention measures against climate change because once-rare weather events are increasingly common. . Drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are certainly necessary to combat 3 climate change, but they will not cool the planet in the short and medium term. Until the Earth's climate stabilizes, the governments of each country will need to prepare their countries and cities to face extreme climate events. In many countries, flood-prone rivers are carefully managed. Defenses such as dikes, reservoirs and dams are used to prevent rivers from overflowing their banks. It is essential that Brazilian governments at all levels (federal, state and municipal) prepare contingency plans to evacuate populations that may be affected as a result of floods thus minimizing their deaths and losses arising. It is up to the federal and state governments to inspect and monitor dams and adopt measures to prevent their failure. It can be said that the losses and the high number of deaths in the recent tragedies that hit several cities and regions in Brazil and the world have a lot to do with the inaction of authorities before and during the floods. The public authorities only acted after the tragedy, which is still a regrettable fact. Prevention is the keyword when it comes to floods. A large part of the resources should be allocated to prevention and not to cover losses as is currently the case. Much less is spent on preventing floods than on rebuilding buildings and infrastructure. The municipal government plays a fundamental role in preventing floods in cities. To this end, a municipal development master plan must be drawn up that includes, among other measures, the adoption of solutions to minimize or eliminate the risks faced by the population, the systematic identification of risk areas in order to establish population settlement rules. According to the Federal Constitution, this plan is mandatory for municipalities with more than 20 thousand inhabitants. In addition, it must monitor risk areas, avoiding dangerous settlements, apply fines when residents do not comply with recommendations, prepare an evacuation plan with an alarm system and indicate areas that are safe for construction, based on zoning. Every resident must be informed of what and how to do to avoid being affected by floods. Three bodies are essential in flood prevention actions in a municipality: 1) the municipal civil defense body, which is responsible for executing, coordinating and mobilizing all civil defense actions in the municipality, whose main task is to know and identify the risks of disasters in the municipality, preparing the population to face them by drawing up specific plans; 2) the body responsible for the meteorological service responsible for reporting the climate forecast for the city and/or region; and, 3) community civil defense centers, which are people who work voluntarily in civil defense activities, to collaborate with the civil defense body aiming at community participation, preparing it to respond promptly to disasters. It is up to the mayor to determine the creation of the civil defense body. To deal with extreme weather events, cities must become smart and sustainable. What characterizes a smart and sustainable city? It is for the city to be managed rationally with the support of the population with the use of information technology, which ensures the population's right to urban land, housing, environmental sanitation, urban infrastructure, transport and public services, work and to leisure, for current and future generations and which ensures the population's right to decide on the destiny of their city. Transforming a city into a smart city means using information technology to facilitate city management with the collaboration of the population and counting on their participation in decisionmaking. The future of cities and their populations therefore depends on what is done to adopt a new management model with the use of information technology, promote 4 improved quality of life for the entire population, promote the sustainable development of city and promote the democratization of government decisions with the participation of the entire population. Sustainability is a term used to define human actions and activities that seek to meet the present needs of human beings without compromising the future of the next generations. In the case of floods, sustainability is achieved in their management when the environment affected by them is preserved for use by current and future generations with the adoption of prevention and precautionary measures against their occurrence. Sustainability is achieved in flood management with the development of prevention, precautionary and risk management plans, in addition to the intensification of inspection. To deal with flood risks, it is essential that prevention and precautionary measures are adopted to avoid catastrophic events. The Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment of Floods is an important instrument for formulating civil defense plans, as it is used to assess, predict and prevent greater economic and social damage resulting from floods. It is worth noting that preventive or precautionary measures should underpin risk management policies and, above all, should be present in civil defense proposals and actions to combat floods. * Fernando Alcoforado, awarded the medal of Engineering Merit of the CONFEA / CREA System, member of the Bahia Academy of Education, of the SBPC- Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science and of IPB- Polytechnic Institute of Bahia, engineer from the UFBA Polytechnic School and doctor in Territorial Planning and Regional Development from the University of Barcelona, college professor (Engineering, Economy and Administration) and consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning, regional planning, urban planning and energy systems, was Advisor to the Vice President of Engineering and Technology at LIGHT S.A. Electric power distribution company from Rio de Janeiro, Strategic Planning Coordinator of CEPED- Bahia Research and Development Center, Undersecretary of Energy of the State of Bahia, Secretary of Planning of Salvador, is the author of the books Globalização (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1997), De Collor a FHC- O Brasil e a Nova (Des)ordem Mundial (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1998), Um Projeto para o Brasil (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2000), Os condicionantes do desenvolvimento do Estado da Bahia (Tese de doutorado. Universidade de Barcelona,http://www.tesisenred.net/handle/10803/1944, 2003), Globalização e Desenvolvimento (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2006), Bahia- Desenvolvimento do Século XVI ao Século XX e Objetivos Estratégicos na Era Contemporânea (EGBA, Salvador, 2008), The Necessary Conditions of the Economic and Social Development- The Case of the State of Bahia (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2010), Aquecimento Global e Catástrofe Planetária (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2010), Amazônia Sustentável- Para o progresso do Brasil e combate ao aquecimento global (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2011), Os Fatores Condicionantes do Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2012), Energia no Mundo e no Brasil- Energia e Mudança Climática Catastrófica no Século XXI (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2015), As Grandes Revoluções Científicas, Econômicas e Sociais que Mudaram o Mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2016), A Invenção de um novo Brasil (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2017), Esquerda x Direita e a sua convergência (Associação Baiana de Imprensa, Salvador, 2018), Como inventar o futuro para mudar o mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2019), A humanidade ameaçada e as estratégias para sua sobrevivência (Editora Dialética, São Paulo, 2021), A escalada da ciência e da tecnologia e sua contribuição ao progresso e à sobrevivência da humanidade (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2022), a chapter in the book Flood Handbook (CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida United States, 2022), How to protect human beings from threats to their existence and avoid the extinction of humanity (Generis Publishing, Europe, Republic of Moldova, Chișinău, 2023) and A revolução da educação necessária ao Brasil na era contemporânea (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2023). 5