The City Hall of Petrópolis, in the mountainous region of Rio, achieved the commitment of R $ 37 million from the federal government for the construction of 248 housing units in the city. The announcement was made on Tuesday (22), in Brasilia, during an agenda with the Minister of Regional Integration and Development, Waldez Góes, and the National Secretary of Protection and Civil Defense, Wolne Wolff.
According to Mayor Hingo Hammes, the funds will be destined to build housing for families who lost their house in heavy rains and landslides that have hit Petrópolis in recent years. “Many of these people still live with the help of social rent and will have the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity and security,” the mayor said in a statement. “We are working to transform their lives and move on with definitive solutions for those who need it most,” he added.
“The resilience of Petrópolis, society, public policy, the rulers has been increasingly strengthened,” said the Minister of Regional Integration and Development, Waldez Góes, recalling the partnership of the Federal Government with the City of Petrópolis. The minister also announced the commitment of $ 3 million for works in the center cemetery.
During the meeting, strategies were also discussed to strengthen the city’s protection and prevention system. Petrópolis already has the Civil Defense Alert, a system recognized for acting in the reduction of risk, as well as contingency plans, escape routes and educational campaigns with the population.
“Our goal is to advance in the construction of a new culture of prevention. We need to deal better with risks, create lasting solutions and ensure more security for the entire population,” said the municipal secretary of Civil Defense, Guilherme Moraes.
The commitment of resources was made possible with technical support from the National Secretariat of Protection and Civil Defense of Petrópolis.
“Now is to follow firmly to get the project off the paper and deliver these houses as soon as possible,” Hammes said, noting that it is an investment that marks an important step in reconstruction of Petrópolis, achieved by various climate effects in recent years.
Tragedy
The cities of the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro have been hit by extreme climate events in recent years, such as the tragedy that took place at dawn on January 12, 2011. Seven municipalities in the region suffered one of the largest rainfall tragedies in the country’s history: 918 died and more than 300 were missing, as calculated by the municipalities.
The latest climate phenomenon in the mountain took place on February 15, 2022, when a storm concentrated on the workshop hill in Petrópolis, leaving 233 dead and two missing.
