Autonomous flood adaptation measures in Amazonian cities (Belem, Brazil)

Abstract

This work investigates the autonomous adaptive capacity of populations in flood-prone areas in the city of Belem (state of Para) in the Amazon region of Brazil. Autonomous adaptive measures are behaviors that the population adopts without explicit planning or the assistance of either institutions, professionals, or both, all of which are focused on protecting themselves from risks. This research focuses near the part of superficial drainage channels, which is divided into five areas. Visits to the study area and interviews with residents allowed to identify urban typologies and autonomous adaptive constructive techniques, as well as the relationship between these forms of adaptation and the socioeconomic conditions of the population. The main results are associated with the main motivations, information and knowledge that support flood adaptation strategies and the consequences of their success or failure in Amazonian cities. Some of them indicates that autonomous flood adaptation measures were not provided with professional technical assistance or externally financed; the measures are associated with structural modifications (e.g., raise the level of the properties and improve the building) and non-structural modifications (e.g., shims). Some of the conclusions are associated with sources of information; community recognition of flood adaptation methods; motivation to the measures implemented autonomously; consequence to the urban planning and people internal migration, and the difficulties to identify and characterize an adaptation measure as proactive or reactive in recurrent flood cycles in Amazonian cities.