The World Bank Group has announced a new project to support the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, to reduce the risk of devastating floods and strengthen the state’s capacity to manage weather-related disasters, mitigating impacts on the economy while protecting jobs and lives.
The $119.2 million project will benefit approximately 420,000 people across 54 municipalities, many of them low-income residents living in high-risk areas who stand to gain the most from lasting, reliable flood protection.
“ Continued job generation and local prosperity in the region will depend on sustainable strategies to adapt to growing flood risks ,” said Jorge Coarasa , World Bank Acting Country Director for Brazil.
Flood mitigation infrastructure in the Itajaí Valley is at the core of the project. Investments include river improvement works such as channel dredging , reinforcement of embankments, and floodgates along the Itajaí-Mirim River.
The project will also support the construction of a series of flood control dams upstream, as part of a multi-year government investment program to mitigate flood impacts.