Estudo da resiliência das comunidades atingidas pelas inundações em Tucuruí-Pará

Abstract

Knowledge about resilience of communities located in areas at risk of flooding in the municipality of Tucuruí, in the state of Pará, Brazil, is crucial for ensuring efficient management of the risks associated with natural hydrological disasters. Identifying the communities' capacity to adapt and recover from seasonal flooding events almost every year in this location has made it possible to formulate risk prevention and mitigation actions and to strengthen public policies. The study of resilience can contribute towards developing disaster preparedness and response strategies by considering the distinct features of each community, such as its cultural values, social structures and specific needs. The research problem is to investigate the process of resilience of communities in areas at risk of flooding in Tucuruí. The research is an exploratory and field approach, in which an intervention case study was carried out, using a focus table as strategy for establishing the Focus Group, and 100 questionnaires were applied. Bardin's content analysis method (1997) was used to examine the data obtained. The research answers its central problem by providing valuable insights on risk management policies and strategies that promote communities' resilience against natural threats. The findings showed that, despite the challenges, these communities exhibit a remarkable capacity for adaptation and recovery which is driven by social cohesion, traditional knowledge and community mobilization. Nevertheless, there is a need to create housing programs and basic sanitation actions in order to make these results permanent and not just palliative for the people of Tucuruí.