Rio Grande do Sul advances climate disaster preparedness with new municipal plan and international seminar

The municipality of Igrejinha in Rio Grande do Sul unveiled an updated Contingency Plan (Plancon) during a public hearing on July 2. Mayor Leandro Horlle said the revision incorporates lessons from the extreme weather events of May 2024 and adds stronger hydrometeorological monitoring, three alert levels based on river height and rainfall, and a coordinated command system that involves the city hall, civil defence, fire brigade, military police and other municipal departments. The plan also lists provisional shelters, an interactive risk map and real‑time camera feeds on the Paranhana River.

On the same day, the state government hosted the international seminar "Rebuild Better: Paths to Resilience" in Porto Alegre, organized by the Secretaria da Reconstrução Gaúcha with support from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Inter‑American Development Bank (IDB). Governor Eduardo Leite and UNDRR regional head Nahuel Arenas highlighted the need to embed scientific evidence and long‑term resilience into reconstruction policies. The event announced the creation of a State Center for Resilient Reconstruction (CERR) within the Integrated Risk Management Center, and stressed cooperation with international partners to develop tools, training and rapid‑response mechanisms for future climate‑related disasters.