The tragedy of Petropolis, a tourist town close to Rio de Janeiro where dozens of people died after torrential rains, once again highlights the risks of uncontrolled urbanization, with precarious dwellings built on the hillside. The most affected area is the Alto da Serra district, located on the heights, not far from the historic center of the city which was the summer residence of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil in the 19th century. A densely populated district, with modest houses stuck to each other, along very narrow and steep streets.
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All of these homes were built — most without building permits — on hillsides, and nearly 80 of them were swallowed up by landslides on Tuesday. However, Michel Mendonça, a 35-year-old mechanic, was unaware of living in a risk zone. “I built this house myself, ten years ago, and I never imagined such a disaster”he confides, while sweeping the thick layer of mud in front of his house, which was relatively spared. “I still had 40 cm of water in my workshop, downstairs, but that’s nothing compared to those who have lost loved ones”he tempers.
9.5 million people at risk
According to him, the authorities have never alerted the inhabitants to the slightest risk since he has lived in the neighborhood. “The poor are neglected, they are always the last informed, only at the time of disasters. The rains are a natural phenomenon, but the authorities are also responsible., he summarizes. Regina dos Santos Alvalá, deputy director of the Natural Disaster Monitoring Center (Cemaden), believes that, “despite some progress in recent years”Brazil still has a long way to go to reduce the risks associated with natural disasters.
“There have been advances in monitoring, issuing alerts, but other aspects need to be improved, with housing policies that reduce the vulnerability of the poorest. We also need to better preserve the native vegetation. which serves as a barrier to landslides, she believes. “We can’t avoid the rain, but we have to limit its impact”, insists this specialist. According to her, 9.5 million people in Brazil currently live in so-called “at risk” areas, particularly vulnerable to floods or storms. landslides. Most live in favelas, without sewage.
Higher and higher
“I bought my house here in 1996 and never worried. I slept peacefully, I did not see the danger., says Sheila Figueira, another resident of Alto da Serra. The mudslide rolled down a few meters from his two-story house. She sees firefighters digging up bodies from her balcony. “I don’t know if I will be able to stay here, but my house is very special to me. I fought to buy it”explains this 59-year-old saleswoman.
Same story for Rafael de Matos, whose yellow-walled house, just below that of Sheila Figueira, was also spared, a few meters away. “I was born here and grew up in this house built by my father in the 70s. At the time, it was one of the tallest houses in the neighborhood, but today it is one of the tallest. bass. There have been many other constructions, higher and higher (up the hill), in recent years.explains this 38-year-old hairdresser, pointing to the high area reached by the mudslide.
“It is always the poor who end up being exposed to this kind of risk. With the coronavirus crisis, poverty has gained ground and some people who did not live in areas at risk have had to resolve to move there, because they had no choice”says Estael Sias, of the meteorological agency Metsul. “Beyond weather issues, the fact that these are often illegally occupied areas is another risk factor”she concludes.
