Rio de Janeiro establishes state committee to tackle El Niño impacts

Rio de Janeiro El Niño state committee civil defense climate monitoring

A decree signed on Friday, 3 May, created the State Committee for Facing the Effects of El Niño in Rio de Janeiro. The committee is coordinated by the Secretariat of Civil Defense and incorporated into the State System of Protection and Civil Defense (Siepdec).

It brings together representatives from 18 state agencies, including Civil Defense, Health, Agriculture, Environment, Social Development, Education, Public Security, Infrastructure, Science and Technology, the Military Fire Brigade, the State Environment Institute, the Department of Mineral Resources and the Energy and Sanitation Regulatory Agency. Four permanent technical chambers will focus on health and social protection; agriculture, livestock and food security; forest fires and environmental protection; and infrastructure, energy and water resources.

The body will monitor and respond to droughts, heat waves, low humidity, forest fires and related impacts on public health, water supplies, energy systems and vulnerable populations. A dedicated Situation Room will produce technical bulletins, integrated analyses and scenario forecasts, while coordinating with municipalities, federal bodies and utility companies. The committee will remain active for the duration of the El Niño episode and may be extended by state decree.