The National Confederation of Municipalities calculates losses due to storms, droughts and other climate phenomena in 2023
Storms in Rio Grande do Sul have left a trail of destruction this week, leaving at least 55 dead, 74 missing and around 67 thousand homeless and homeless as of this Saturday 4. In addition to the victims, the most serious result of the tragedy, disasters the resources natural causes bring a wave of losses. In the following days and weeks, the effects of the destruction of homes, public structures and economic production in the affected regions were recorded.
Last year, natural disasters caused Brazil R$105.4 billion in losses, according to a survey by the National Confederation of Municipalities. The data was collected through what states and municipalities reported to the S2iD Integrated Disaster Information System, a platform managed by the Ministry of Regional Integration and Development.
In 2023, disasters affected 37.3 million Brazilians, leaving 126.3 thousand homeless, 717.9 thousand displaced and 258 dead.
The private sector bore 69% of the loss: R$72.6 billion. Public losses amounted to R$23.8 billion (22.6%) and material damage of R$8.8 billion (8.4%) also occurred.
Drought accounted for 51% of the total, with losses amounting to R$53.7 billion. The rains caused damage amounting to R$51.4 billion (48.7%).
From January to December, 6,322 emergency situations were declared, of which 50.3% were due to rain. The South had 33% of the decrees, followed by the Northeast with 29.8%.
Agriculture was the most affected economic sector, with losses amounting to R$53.6 billion, while livestock farming lost R$15.3 billion.
Losses in the supply of drinking water were R$10.8 billion, in infrastructure works R$3.9 billion and in the real estate sector R$3.5 billion.
One of last year’s major climate disasters also occurred in Rio Grande do Sul, when the passage of an extratropical cyclone accompanied by rain caused the deaths of 54 people and destroyed several regions, in particular the Taquari Valley.
This week’s tragedy has already exceeded the threshold: 57 confirmed dead and 67 missing. The CNM estimates that, from April 29th to the morning of this Friday the 3rd, the losses suffered by the State of Rio Grande do Sul have reached the figure of R$275.3 million. Gov. Eduardo Leite said Saturday that the state “will need some sort of Marshall Plan to rebuild.”
There are documented cases of broken dams, damaged water treatment plants, damage to bridges and roads and compromise of anti-flood structures (such as the São Leopoldo dam, in Grande Porto Alegre, which overflowed on Friday 3rd, as shown in the video here under) ).
In the agri-food sector, Rio Grande do Sul has a strong presence, as it is the largest producer of rice and the second largest producer of soy.
When the extreme event comes with the opposite sign, the effects are also costly. The historic drought that hit much of the Amazon last year dried up rivers, hampered river transport and even hit production in the Manaus free trade zone. The lowering of the level of watercourses also affects the production of electricity.
From the second half of 2023, the planet is influenced by the El Niño phenomenon, which tends to increase global temperatures and intensify precipitation and drought. El Niño is expected to end in the coming weeks, but experts warn that extreme events will become increasingly intense and frequent due to global warming.
According to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, average annual maximum temperatures in Brazil are expected to rise above the global average and average precipitation values will undergo further changes in the coming years.
Data from the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) already shows an increase in the number of days of extreme rain in cities such as Porto Alegre, which saw its center flooded on Saturday, Belém and Sao Paulo in relation to patterns observed in the 1960s .
In the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, this increase went from 29 to 66. In Belém, this total went from 49 to 143 in the same comparison. In Sao Paulo the number went from 40 to 70.
For Paulo Artaxo, a researcher who is part of the IPCC, a United Nations panel that brings together scientists who study global warming, it is necessary to adapt to the new climate. “If not, we will put out the fires here, we will help the floods elsewhere, the landslides today in Paraty, tomorrow in São Sebastião (in reference to other cities where there have been storm-related tragedies)… How long will we continue to chase the damage ? ”, Says he, professor at USP.
“The whole of Brazil will have some problems related to climate change. We have to prepare. There will be many water security challenges and each region will have its own specifics. Since the impact is regional, adaptation will have to take it into account,” says Rodrigo Paiva, professor at the Hydraulic Research Institute of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.
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No warnings
In addition to causing damage to affected areas, with the need to rebuild structures and homes, financial losses drain funds to prevent new disasters and save lives. Among the strategies highlighted by the experts are investments in weather forecasts and warning technologies, in slope containment works and in the removal of residents from risk areas.
Research conducted by the CNM on 3,590 of the 5,568 Brazilian municipalities (64.5%) showed that 60% of them do not have a mobile or fixed disaster warning system and that another 33.7% use digital communication for alerts, as in the case of the municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul.
According to the Confederation, municipalities in small and medium-sized cities are not able to bear the costs of risk management and disaster prevention alone, requiring technical and financial support from the states and the Union.
Also according to the CNM, disasters can be avoided or minimized by improving urban management, monitoring and alerting, as well as preparing communities for evacuation or other measures in case of extreme events.
Images captured by the drone of the Municipal Guard in the Historic Center of Porto Alegre. pic.twitter.com/wsRfL6uJQr
— Porto Alegre Security Secretariat (@segurancapoa) May 3, 2024
IMPACT: Strong image of when the flood protection dam here in São Leopoldo overflowed at the João Corrêa pumping station. There is a lot of water in our Rio dos Sinos. We immediately warned the population to evacuate the neighborhood. There the water continues to rise. Sad thing… pic.twitter.com/EQk6qhy3aV
— ary vanazzi (@aryvanazzi) May 4, 2024
Source: Terra
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