{"id":34925,"date":"2022-02-25T20:10:34","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T20:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conectas.org\/?post_type=noticia&p=34925"},"modified":"2022-03-09T13:05:27","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T13:05:27","slug":"how-climate-disasters-are-deepening-inequality-in-brazil","status":"publish","type":"noticia","link":"https:\/\/conectas.org\/en\/noticias\/how-climate-disasters-are-deepening-inequality-in-brazil\/","title":"How climate disasters are deepening inequality in Brazil","content":"

The heavy rain in Petr\u00f3polis (RJ), that have so far left 217 people dead and 33 disappeared, <\/span>according to local authorities<\/span><\/a>, as well as the climate disasters that devastated the municipalities of Minas Gerais, Bahia, S\u00e3o Paulo and Esp\u00edrito Santo in the first two months of the year have revealed difficulties in Brazil regarding urban planning and the provision of concrete solutions to tackle the climate emergency. <\/span><\/p>\n

As a consequence of a nationwide lack of planning and disregard, the regions affected by the rains are now counting their dead, facing socioenvironmental disasters and witnessing local economic hardships. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA trend of increased heavy rainfall, as happened in Petr\u00f3polis, has been observed in a number of places around the world\u201d, says Jos\u00e9 Marengo, director at Cemaden (the National Centre for Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alert), <\/span>in an interview at Observat\u00f3rio do Clima<\/span><\/a>. He believes this is \u201cas a consequence of increased climate risk (the possible negative impact that a climatic event can have], which is directly linked to global warming\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

Environmental and climate racism<\/b><\/h2>\n

Rain, floods and landslides, however, do not affect the entire population in the same way. Those who live in so-called high-risk areas are usually poor people, traditional and black communities and indigenous people. In other words, climate disasters deepen historic social inequalities, such as the lack of dignified housing, basic sanitation and employment.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to J\u00falia Neiva, director of the Conectas Defence of Socioenvironmental Rights programme, there is a need to acknowledge the relationship between these occurrences and their consequences, such as racism, particularly the intersection between racial, environmental and climate injustice. \u201cPeople who belong to historically subordinated groups are the ones who lose their lives at these times. If they survive, as well as experiencing the grief of losing neighbours and family members, they also have to face long bureaucratic procedures in seeking support from the state, shelter and other basics, like food and medication\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

This racial dimension can been explained by what is known as <\/span>environmental racism<\/span><\/a>. An expert in Urban Sociology, at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rita Maria da Silva Passos, explains that this type of racism is referred to as \u201cthe disproportionate burden of risk, damage and social and environmental impacts that befalls the most vulnerable ethnic groups\u201d, which shows that even the destruction of the planet is not happening in a democratic manner. <\/span><\/p>\n

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