Perception of residents of risk areas in the city of Rio do Sul, Santa Catarina

Abstract

As the urbanization phenomenon has advanced in the Brazilian cities, rivers have been "suffocated" by disorderly occupation and are often considered as obstacles to the growth of cities. One of the cities that exemplifies this issue is Rio do Sul in Santa Catarina. The city recorded the first major flood in 1911 and, since then, there have been several episodes of the disaster, with 15 occurrences recorded between the years 2010 and 2020. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the perception of area residents of risk, about the adversities that urban floods affect in the physical-spatial scope - both in housing and in the neighborhood, as well as discussing possible damages to people's well-being, evidenced from the interviewees' reports. The data were obtained through a Post-Occupancy Assessment (APO), conducted from interviews with questions on the scale of the neighborhood and housing, as well as from the collection of data from the built environment in loco. The results showed, in addition to the negative feelings brought by disasters of this nature, the sense of belonging and community among residents. It was also possible to verify the owners' lack of interest in repairing the damage caused by the floods in their homes, as well as the deprivation of purchasing furniture or carrying out renovations in the residence as a means of minimizing the damage caused by the floods.