A eficácia do sistema de proteção e Defesa Civil frente aos desastres ambientais fluviais no Amazonas

Abstract

The human occupation in the Amazon has always been linked to the river banks, which regularly present landscape changes caused by fluvial seasonality. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in the frequency of large floods and ebbs, some classified as extreme hydrological events. The interaction of the hazards brought by these events with vulnerable human populations results in the occurrence of fluvial environmental disasters. The present research has as general objective to evaluate the effectiveness of the system of protection and civil defense against the fluvial environmental disasters in the Amazon. The research was based on a qualitative-quantitative approach using multi-methods. The information sources used were obtained from secondary data of the Integrated Disaster Information System, the National Water Agency and the Sub-Command for Civil Protection and Defense, semi-structured interviews with the collaborators of the State System of Protection and Civil Defense of Amazonas (SEPDEC) and with focus groups with people affected by environmental disasters in areas at risk. The historical series of river basins reveal the highest occurrence frequency of extreme drought events, and especially of floods in the last two decades, which correspond to environmental disasters in all sub regions of the State. The SEPDEC of the Amazon has been responding to these disasters, however there are institutional difficulties related to the lack of a State Protection and Civil Defense Policy, as well as the lack of structure and technical staff in the Municipal offices. In analyzing the objective effectiveness of the system, it was possible to understand that not all events classified as fluvial extremes generate environmental disasters in Amazonas, the greatest investments for emergency responses occur in years of flood disasters. The evaluation, based on the subjective perception of the employees of the system, revealed that the actors who work in the area of protection and civil defense understand that the actions with greater effectiveness are those of prevention, however, the largest investment of the public can be found in emergency actions. The affected populations of the districts of Cacau Pirêra, Iranduba have demonstrated that their social and environmental problems are potentiated by these disasters, especially those of flood and that the actions of protection and civil defense are not effective in reducing the risks of which they are exposed, increasing the vulnerability of these communities and leading them to seek solutions through mobilization to resist this process. The high occurrence of fluvial environmental disasters in Amazonas is due to changes in the seasonal pattern of rivers caused by climate change, as well as to cultural and social factors that lead populations to live in flooded areas. SEPDEC needs to be strengthened, especially in the municipalities of the State. The transition from reactive governance to participatory risk governance, in which different institutions and social actors can act effectively, is essential for reducing risk and increasing the resilience of populations in the state of Amazonas.