PERCEPTION OF RISK FROM DWELLERS OF AREA WITH RECURRING FLOODS: ANALYSIS OF BAIXADA DO SOBRAL - RIO BRANCO / AC

Abstract

Brazil is one of the countries most affected worldwide by floods, which result in a high number of people affected and deaths. Rain is often seen as the main cause of this phenomenon. However, understanding this event requires looking at a combination of factors: disorderly occupation of the territory, accumulation of garbage and debris in rivers and streams, failures in urban planning and climate change. Literature and experts also indicate that in order to adequately deal with floods, it is essential to have risk management systems that identify the areas at greatest risk, enable disaster prevention and response plans and promote the engagement of residents in the most vulnerable areas in the region. The participation of the population of these territories, therefore, is an essential part of the process of locally managing the risks of disaster and is directly linked to the way in which these people perceive these risks. That said, the objective of this research is to analyze the perception of residents of an area with a history of recurrent flooding, Baixada do Sobral, in Rio Branco. Although there are several studies on flooding in this city, given the long trajectory of flooding near the bed of the River Acre, there is little research that specifically addresses residents' perceptions of the risk of flooding and ways of prevention. The results obtained indicate that the residents of the researched area understand floods as an everyday phenomenon and adopt different prevention strategies in relation to their effects.