Integrated actions in the management of critical hydrologic events

Owing to the increase in urban populations, there has also been an increased incidence of critical events, especially those related to floods and landslides. Since the implementation of the National Civil Defense System in Brazil, a focus on disaster management is no longer the answer when assisting those affected; instead, the answer has become managing disaster risk, in addition to the response, including prevention and minimizing the effects of the critical event. This paper highlights the actions for modernization and expansion of the hydrological monitoring network, in particular the alert network, the completion of an atlas of vulnerability to floods and the deployment of Situation Rooms in the states, with a view to strengthening the role of these bodies in disaster risk management, and enabling greater responsiveness to these events and the use of the information gathered as a water resources management tool, allowing for better use of public resources.