Facing the floods: community responses to increased rainfall in Guarulhos, Brazil and Arequipa, Peru

Michaela Hordijk*, Francine van den Brandeler, Maria Filippi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter in a book

Abstract

This chapter presents the flood risks in the two case study communities to their locations, residents' experiences are similar to those facing many urban poor, now weather is getting crazy'. It focuses on fieldwork carried out in Guarulhos, Brazil and Arequipa, Peru, as part of the EU-funded research project Chance2Sustain. It shows that not every low-income neighbourhood will have the capacities needed to engage in co-creation. In Jardim Guaracy, low levels of social capital, fragmented local knowledge on flood risks, and mistrust of authorities seriously impedes the possibility of co-creation. In Villa Ecológica, residents' knowledge of pluvial flooding was mainly based on their personal experiences. Due to their rural origin, residents were familiar with seasonal cycles: rainfall season, followed by windy season. In January 2011 record floods killed over 800 people and made thousands homeless in Southeast Brazil. Floods frequently occur during the rainy summer season.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationUrban Poverty and Climate Change
Subtitle of host publicationLife in the slums of Asia, Africa and Latin America
EditorsManoj Roy, Sally Cawood, Michaela Hordijk, David Hulme
PublisherRoutledge
Chapter8
Pages130-147
Number of pages18
ISBN (Electronic)9781315716435
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Facing the floods: community responses to increased rainfall in Guarulhos, Brazil and Arequipa, Peru'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this