The important message from the floods in Rio Grande do Sul
Cassia Moraes
Founder and Board member | Climate Policy and Innovation | International Cooperation
It's been a month since the largest climate tragedy in Brazil in recent times happened: "For a week, heavy rains had been pummelling the landscape, raising river levels and flooding homes, forcing many to seek shelter elsewhere. (...) More than 90% of Rio Grande do Sul’s 497 municipalities have been affected, with 418 declaring a state of emergency or disaster. (...) More than 580,000 people have been displaced, with almost 70,000 of them depending on shelters, according to a state government report. A total of 2.3 million people have been affected by the torrential rain and floods." (The Guardian)
The video below uses the satellite images from Copernicus, a component of the European Union’s Space program that Climate-KIC is also part of, to illustrate the dimension of the floods in several cities from the state:
I've been surprised by the lack of attention to this unparallel event in Brazil's history here in Europe, so I would like to dedicate this newsletter to this important topic, as well as to all my friends in Rio Grande do Sul who are still facing the impact of this tragedy. First, I will share a translated version of an article I published at Um Só Planeta , a leading media outlet for sustainability in Brazil. Then, I will share a few resources and links to donate to families and initiatives in the state. Please help spread the word about this on your networks, and use this opportunity to reflect on the resilience of your city and communities. We have already entered a dangerous territory as a global community, and need to support each other in navigating solutions for a better future. One of the key ways to do so is to elect representatives who care about climate change - from local elections in Brazil to the EU Parliament!
What should the tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul teach us for the municipal elections?
[You can read the original article in Portuguese here]
I started researching the subject of climate change in 2009, a few years after former US Vice President Al Gore released the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”, with the aim of warning about what would be the great challenge of this century. Fifteen years ago, the issue was not as widespread as it is today, but long-time environmentalists lamented the unambitious outcome of COP15 in Copenhagen. How many chances have been missed since then?
If this was a movie (and perhaps one day it will be), we would be at the moment when scientists' predictions, ignored, are becoming an increasingly common reality: historic droughts, historic floods, “never-before-seen” heat waves - little by little, the exception is becoming the “new normal”.
But unlike the Covid-19 pandemic that devastated the world at the beginning of this decade, there will be no vaccine for the climate crisis. And colossal floods, such as those that have devastated more than 70% of Rio Grande do Sul's municipalities, are symptoms of a “global disease” that is getting worse.
Now, the focus should be on helping the millions of victims of the rains that devastated Rio Grande do Sul, or rather, victims of the lack of preparation of the state and municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as our country as a whole, for the context of the climate emergency. Politicians from different parties and ideologies can't say they didn't know. Almost ten years ago, the Brazil 2040 project, led by the Secretariat for Strategic Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic, produced dozens of reports focusing on priorities and policies for adapting to climate change. However, the message, considered “alarmist”, annoyed people who should do something about it, and they decided to fire the messengers instead of continuing with the necessary project and planning.
In one of the classes given by Youth Climate Leaders (YCL) in its flagship "YCL Course", it has been emphasized that phenomena (like these) are natural, but disasters are political and social. We can't blame the rain for the deaths and damage caused by the floods, but we must hold accountable those responsible who could have done something to reduce the impact these phenomena had on Rio Grande do Sul. And also make it clear, at the ballot box and in the streets, to those who are still trying to pass anti-environmental policies: NO MORE! If the climate crisis is a global phenomenon, its impacts are mostly local. Therefore, the municipal elections are an opportunity to ensure that our cities are led by people who understand the urgency of the problem and are prepared to face it.
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After the emergency actions, it will be time to rebuild, and we can no longer go back to “what was”: we have to (re)build cities that are more resilient to the world that is and will be.
It's a war effort, yes, but the war has only just begun. We must rebuild the hundreds of cities affected with an infrastructure that is more resilient to extreme weather phenomena, including measures such as more modern drainage, less soil sealing, and more green areas. At the same time, it will be necessary to create new funds and financial mechanisms to address future crises, providing resources to respond quickly and rebuild when necessary. And these actions will have to be replicated throughout Brazil, led by the municipalities.
We missed the chance to act earlier and, with each passing year, the price of political inaction will be higher. Exponentially higher. That's why, in this October's elections, we must vote for candidates who have concrete proposals for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the existing and future impact of the climate crisis. We need Climate Secretariats to help other portfolios include the issue across government, as climate change impacts the activities of other areas, and is also impacted by them. We need municipal planning to be rethought and adapted in the face of the new climate reality.
And we need to give due urgency to what can no longer be denied, preventing announced tragedies from repeating themselves, in an increasingly intense and devastating way.
How can you help families from Rio Grande do Sul?
DONATING FROM OUTSIDE BRAZIL:
DONATING FROM BRAZIL:
This Thursday (06) from 7-9pm (Brasilia time), Youth Climate Leaders (YCL) is organizing a "Solidary Class" with Felipe Augusto Hoeflich Damaso de Oliveira and Elton Cesar Cunha about the climate phenomenon of the floods in Rio Grande do Sul, what went wrong, and what could have been done differently. To participate, you have to donate R$30,00 or more to one of the organizations supporting families in Rio Grande do Sul (see list above) and send the donation receipt to [email protected]. The class will be in Portuguese.
Any questions or resources about the flood in Rio Grande do Sul you would like to share? Let's chat in the comments section! Please help us spread the word about what is happening and collect support for the victims by sharing this newsletter with your networks!