Building sustainable, flood resilient communities in Brazil
Creating sustainable, flood resilient communities is vital in parts of the developing world that are prone to flooding. A key part of flood resilience lies in flood risk data and understanding how it is produced.
Waterproofing Data is a project run by the University of Warwick’s Professor João Porto de Albuquerque. The project, which runs from October 2018 to September 2021, is a collaborative venture involving researchers from Brazil, Germany and the UK.
Flood risk and the collection of data
The project is examining the governance of flood risks, with a focus on social and cultural aspects of data practices. “Typically, data flows up from local levels to scientific centres of expertise, and then flood-related alerts and interventions flow back down through local governments and into communities. Rethinking how flood data is produced, and how it flows, can help build sustainable, flood resilient communities” explains Professor Porto de Albuquerque.
A key aim of the project is to investigate how data flows from Brazil's National Disaster Monitoring and Alerts agency (CEMADEN), which creates and monitors existing flood data, to local government.
Water stream in M’Boi Mirim neighbourhood, São Paulo
This involves gathering information on existing data practices, including conducting interviews and observations. The research is helping to ascertain data usage over time, and helping researchers understand how and why different decision-makers use different data. The resulting ‘data diaries’ highlight existing data practices used by CEMADEN and local government for monitoring and responding to floods.
Students and civil defence staff work together in Rio Branco
Memories, myths and anecdotes
So how are local people engaged in the project? Two communities are involved: one in São Paulo, and the other in Rio Branco, a northern city in the valley of the Acre River. “The project combines methods for engaging citizens in sensing, collecting and communicating flood data. For example, local knowledge and memories of floods are being cultivated through local storytelling, memories and anecdotes of flooding, flood risk and flood data” explains Professor Porto de Albuquerque.
The approach is unique in synthesising local knowledge with science in a way that hasn't been done before. “We're talking with people of a range of ages” says Professor Porto de Albuquerque. “This helps to document local knowledge, as well as enabling skills and knowledge transfer.”
Community maps
Detailed community maps are being developed to highlight areas exposed to flood risks, and help illuminate the challenges of densely populated areas of São Paulo and Acre. These maps are combined with research findings on flood memories and knowledge, as well as the data diaries. A geographic database is being produced, which will be used to develop a web portal displaying the data visually for the public.
A ongoing series of workshops are being held in which researchers present their findings. Participants consider how the findings can be used to transform existing data practices.
Group mapping activity in M’Boi Mirim neighbourhood, São Paulo
Two art exhibitions have also been held, with the aim of transforming perceptions of data use in improving flood resilience. These local exhibitions were designed by Dr Nerea Cavillo, and connected local people to research findings, whilst raising awareness of flood risks.
Professor Porto de Albuquerque and his team are working to extend the project’s impact beyond Brazil. They plan to run annual meetings and workshops in Brazil, Germany and the UK. They will also organise a policy and practice ‘impact’ dissemination workshop in São Paulo to present project outputs and gather feedback.
Organisations with a vested interest in flood risk management will be invited, including government and non-government organisations from both Brazil and neighbouring countries.
The team is also planning a workshop in Heidelberg, Germany together with the Office of Water Rights of the Rhine-Neckar area, to address flood risk management in Germany.
This project supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The Waterproofing Data project is financially supported by the Belmont Forum and NORFACE Joint Research Programme on Transformations to Sustainability, which is co-funded by DLR/BMBF, ESRC, FAPESP, and the European Commission through Horizon 2020. The UK funding for this project is funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund.
