Families have lost everything they built over the years. Days without clean water, food, or electricity. Neighbourhoods, cities, and entire communities under water. Victims. The scene that unfolded in Rio Grande do Sul due to the floods that have affected the state since late April is devastating – over 2 million people have faced one of the most severe chapters in Brazil’s climate crisis.
But the state also needs to address another issue in the aftermath of the tragedy. In partnership with the Brasil de Fato newspaper, CESE is highlighting the experiences of the Movement of Peoples Affected by Dams to warn about the risks of rights lost during moments such as the one Rio Grande do Sul is experiencing, given the logic of capital. The climate crisis could add yet another layer of violence to this context.
This World Environment Day, CESE reaffirms its commitment to addressing climate change, particularly its root causes. Over the past five years, it has supported 77 initiatives which have benefited over 4,100 families and approximately 10,400 women, with a total allocation of BRL 1.3 million.