On Monday (13/05), the Climate Action Institute, after actively participating in its preparation, together with other organizations, sent a representation to the Public Prosecutor's Office of the State of Rio de Janeiro, in view of the serious state omission in dealing with the consequences of climate change in the state, especially for the most vulnerable populations, who suffer from the impacts of intense and frequent rains.
The representation, commissioned by Casa Fluminense, the Parliamentary Front for Climate Justice and 71 other civil society organizations and movements, aims to hold the state government responsible for the lack of adequate climate adaptation policies and the devastating consequences of flooding in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. According to a study carried out by Casa Fluminense, one in five homes in the metropolis is in an area at high risk of flooding.1 The state of Rio de Janeiro urgently needs to implement mitigation and adaptation measures to minimize the losses and damage caused by extreme weather events.
During the Public Hearing "Compliance with the Climate Laws of the State of Rio de Janeiro", which took place the day before the submission of the representation, Larissa Amorim, executive coordinator of Casa Fluminense said: "We need to affirm that the disaster is not natural, and that there is an omission today that could have prevented deaths and losses at different levels in the state of Rio de Janeiro". The hearing called on the state of Rio de Janeiro to implement mitigation and adaptation measures.
The purpose of the representation was to ask the Public Prosecutor's Office to include these facts and data related to the lack of adaptation measures in the administrative process that evaluates irregularities and delays in the implementation of the State Climate Change Policy (Law 5690/2010), so that effective measures can be proposed. According to research carried out by the Parliamentary Front, 8 of the 10 instruments for implementing the policy are not being complied with, exposing families to risks that could have been avoided. Thus, the complaint highlights the government's negligence in complying with existing legislation on climate change and the lack of support for the population in times of emergency. Ação Climática reinforces the need for actions such as drawing up adaptation, mitigation and contingency plans, as well as allocating resources to areas at risk.
"The Climate Action Institute is proud to be part of this initiative and will continue to work for the protection of those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change," said Anna Maria Cárcamo, Director of Research and Engagement. After the representation has been sent, the Institute will continue to follow its progress and other processes involving the issue of rainfall in the state of Rio de Janeiro. As an NGO whose mission is climate justice, we hope that concrete measures will be taken to alleviate the suffering of the affected communities, as well as that new climate adaptation actions will be implemented.