Public policies and floods of the Uruguay river in the municipality of São Borja: the eyes of those affected and the National Policy on Protection and Civil Defense

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the coastal communities in São Borja, at the west of Rio Grande do Sul state, and the repeated flooding’s of the Uruguay river during the course of the twentieth century and early twenty-first century. The paper analyzes the changes in the perception of this phenomenon, which was seen as cyclical and happens to occur in a “disorderly” way in recent times. This analysis will be based on the reports of residents of the affected areas. We will use also the laws that are applied on such events, classified as natural disasters, to analyze the pertinent legislation and the public policies adopted in terms of prevention and civil defense, to demonstrate also in this perspective, a mind change of the way of understanding and dealing with the theme.

Keywords:
Uruguay river; floods; public policies; Disaster Law; prevention