Water-related disasters in Brazil: Perspectives and recommendations

Abstract

Water-related disasters in Brazil are frequently connected to floods, which are responsible for high numbers of affected people and deaths in the country. Nevertheless, there are other aspects to be considered about the relationship between water and disasters. Droughts and erosion, for instance, affect many regions in the country. Moreover, water management implications also relate to environmental, societal and natural disasters. The consequences and secondary effects of the hydrological disasters are also an important aspect to be evaluated: epidemic diseases and unsafe water for human consumption are two problems in the post-disaster phase. In this article we target vulnerability linked to water resources and disasters, point out the main challenges to reduce it and suggest actions for an integrated management of water resources, public health and natural disasters.