PhD Patricia Carla de Almeida e SouzaProf. PhD Carlos Frederico Loureiro

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ

SEPTEMBER, 2014

BRAZIL•The biggest South American Nation;

•The largest Portuguese language country in the world;

•Population: around 202 million inhabitants (IBGE 2014);

•Area: 8.515.767 Km²

•Floods affected 1574 cities, resulting in 777 thousand of displaced/homeless (2008-2012)(IBGE, 2014)

Rio de Janeiro StateSoutheastern coast of Brazil/ Area: 43.780,172 Km²;

Estimated population: 16.369.179 (IBGE, 2013)

•One of the states with the highest number of disasters in Brazil (floods and landslides);•200 thousand people were affected by extreme rains in 8 municipalities Niterói, Nova Friburgo, Petrópolis, Teresópolis, Angra dos Reis, Caxias,... – (CIVIL DEFENCE, 2011)

•Floods/Landslides - socio-environmental and psychosocial questions;

•Physical + political, economical and social implications;

•Almost half of Brazilian municipal districts have no risk or disaster management (IBGE, 2014);

•Displaced/homeless: not provided with regular social assistance, psychological support or even the most basic management strategies for shelters support.

Figures: Morro do Bumba (Niterói) and mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state

(RJ/Brazil)

Important discussions of our urban structure: social vulnerability and economic and social exclusion;

Multiple traumatizations – material and imaterial territory fragmented;

Homeless and displaced subjects are usually neglected after the emergency stage of a disaster;

Invisible subjects of at risk areas in Brazil – absence of social/housing policies;

They are often stigmatised by living in risk areas: complexity of “choosing” to live in this kind of place.

To contribute for the discussions of social vulnerability and resilience during disasters, focused on the exploratory and qualitative UFRJ PhD research in Brazil (2011-2015);

To share some of Brazilian current experiences and context with the participants of the DwD Conference.

-Qualitative approach, exploratory study (MINAYO, 2003);

- National and international literatures: area of risks and environmental disasters + ANDROID doctoral School 2014;

-Interviews: A group of “silent” voluntary professionals - socio-environmental approaches and psychosocial strategies of field work with subjects in situation of environmental disasters in Brazil;

-Revealed challenges faced by the professionals during their field experiences + guided the construction of the thesis priority items;

-Integration fields: Psychology, Sociology, Ecology, Education, Social Work;

- Snow ball methodology (WEISS, 1994) - the interviewed professional suggests the next research participant (very few at field work in Brazil);

-Treatment of data: content analysis methodology – thematic analysis technique (MINAYO,1992);

Deterritorialization/Rootness/Vulnerability: (Haesbaert, 2001; Frochtengarten, 2005; Pollak, 1995; Bosi, 1987; Fraser, 2003; Wisner,

2004; Collins, 2014; Alexander, 2014)

The environment of those subjects, so fragmented by every aspect of a disaster (relocation of the residences, etc.) requires a reformulation of our references of environmental community work – symbolic aspects of territory. They are vulnerable to a series of associated risks (shock trauma,family histories of exclusion, etc..);

Environmental Justice/Recognition/Resilience: (Acselrad, 2004; Loureiro, 2009; Quintas, 2002; Layrargues, 2005; Cyrulnik, 2001;

Collins, 2014; Alexander, 2014; Levine, 2012)

Accelerated spread of buildings and housing crunch – pressure over former residents to leave their land (risk areas) + Necessity of local reference (individual/group) +

Inner capacity of our body to manage the charge generated by high stress periods – including impact of a

disaster;

Lack of housing and social public politics in Brazil;

Social context and history influences resilience process and the different expressions of vulnerability;

Trauma affects biological, psychological, social, geographic, cultural dimensions;

Cognitive functions and speech resources are reduced after a traumatic experience;

Shelters – return to risk in other way (Hettige, 2007)

(Different countries, similar vulnerabilities)

CHALLENGES FOR IMPLEMENTATION:

Lack of resources - limited number of projects in those communities in Brazil;

Professional are also vulnerable: accessing his/her own resilience; works his/her own limits and grounding;

Early self-regulation work;

Learn with the community experience and previous histories – symbolic and affective consequences after a disaster;

Quality of the participation of local leaders facilitates moving from emergency to recovery phases;

Atmosphere of support and affection = emotional, social and physical care;

Spatial orientation - social engagement reconstruction (return from dissociation to present time);

Self-regulation after the recognition of imaterial territory/history + inner and external resources + experience learned after crisis;

Resources turn visible an implicit resilience repertoire;

Inner limits and resilience enhanced by sensorial strategies of work;

- Professionals involved also need emotional attention, after taking care of the whole situation – high stress levels;

- In case of loss, adversity and suffering: solidarity and affection of the community group can be fundamental points for resilience;

- Professionals involved should also learn with those communities, listening to their local past experiences and challenges;

- Importance of participative projects and methodologies, not disconnected from the reality of the participants or indicating only “ecologically correct attitudes”;

Kids and teenagers = no verbal language is required (arts; dramatization; sensorial games; etc)

Reduction of landslides and flood disasters is not only associated with geo-physical matters, but related to the complexity of Brazilian´s political, economic and social references;

Immediate response to those demands includes mainly the construction of new knowledge about their current critical situation and possible strategic paths and actions;

Although their geographic and symbolic territories may be fragmented by extreme events, recognition of their local references and resilience may enlarge their presence and help them reorganize from the vulnerability they are constantly exposed to;

The research provides reference for future other researches in Brazil, broadening an interdisciplinary communication between the different academic areas involved;

Sensorial and somatic approaches = recommended;

Critical approach: environmental problems should be viewed from context and social perspectives = real causes and not only leading with side effects presented after emergency;

Voice of local residents involved should be considered in the mediation of conflicts and interests (Loureiro et alli, 2005);

Complexity involved requires multi-disciplinary professionals for material but mainly recognition of imaterial basic issues (cultural context validation, psychological and emotional aide, etc.);

Patricia Carla – PhD, LIEAS Research Group,EICOS/UFRJ:

patcarla@gmail.com

Carlos Frederico – PhD Professor UFRJ:fredericoloureiro89@gmail.com