Avaliação da relação entre os impactos das chuvas e a ocorrência de alagamentos e inundações em meio aos anos 2000 a 2024 em Teresina, Piauí

Abstract

Climate change and unplanned urban expansion have intensified the frequency of hydrological disasters in Teresina, Piauí. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the impacts of rainfall and the flood occurrences between the years 2000 and 2024. The research is justified by the urgent need to provide technical support for urban planning and risk management, given the intensification of flooding events in Teresina. This study uses a qualitative, exploratory–descriptive approach, based on the analysis of secondary data such as bibliographic and documentary research. Precipitation data from the National Institute of Meteorology were processed, and daily alert bulletins from the Piauí State Secretariat of Environment and Water Resources were analyzed, along with fluviometric data from the São Francisco Hydroelectric Company and the National Water Agency. The analysis of the 2024 alert bulletins confirmed the capital's vulnerability, which was classified under “Danger” alerts for heavy rainfall on several occasions, and the other datasets support this finding. Finally, it is concluded that the observed impacts are socially constructed, being intensified more by inadequate infrastructure, occupation of risk areas, and the formation of urban heat islands than by the absolute increase in rainfall volume; therefore, hydrological disasters in Teresina are primarily an urban planning problem. As solutions, it is suggested to overcome reactive approaches through the adoption of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems and the development of housing policies aimed at relocating populations living in risk areas.