GEO Brasil - UNEP

the state of environmental disasters
the state of the environment in Brazil
YEAR 2001 – No major disaster was reported in 2001 in the Region Ji-Parana City
(Rondonia State) was affected by a flood in March and Belem City (Para State)
had a forest fire in December
NORTHEAST REGION
The Northeast Region’s landscape and its plains and coastal tablelands generally
below 500m and inner surfaces above 800m (Borborema Plateau) and sometimes
above 1,200m (Diamantina Plateau), together with different circulation systems,
makes it difficult to describe the region’s weather in terms of precipitation levels
There are four circulation systems that exert an influence over the region:
a) System of South Disturbed Currents (Sistema de Correntes
Perturbadas de Sul): this is the most frequent during the autumn-winter
seasons, when the fronts reach the seacoast in Pernambuco (at Recife City)
During the spring-summer seasons, the fronts rarely reach the region and,
when this occurs at all, they only come as far as the south of Bahia State
b) System of North Disturbed Currents: Represented by ITC, this system
plays a key role during summer and particularly in autumn, when it arrives at
its southern-most position and reaches south latitudes of 9° and 10°
c) System of East Disturbed Currents: These provoke fairly abundant rains,
fading towards west and seldom reaching the slopes of Borborema and
Diamantina They appear most often during winter
c) System of West Disturbed Currents: These are brought by Tropical Squall
(TS) lines and they frequently reach the States of Bahia and Piaui
Precipitation levels in this region are extremely complex both in terms of its
short-lived occurrence (three months, but it can be shorter or non-existent) and
of its annual total, which may vary from 300 to 2,000mm These levels occur
along the eastern coast and on the Rio Grande do Norte’s Plateau hillside as far
as Bahia, the maximum level is reached during the autumn-winter seasons and
the minimum level during the spring-summer seasons It is typical of climates of
Mediterranean regions
Uneven rains are the main weather
features in the region The percentage
level during the rainiest three
consecutive months shows that on
the coastline the figure is below 50
percent In the northern area this varies
between 50 and 70 percent and in
“sertão” (dry hinterland), the rainy
season sometimes lasts only two
months (INMET)
This region is characterised by long
periods of drought and dry spells with
historical records dating back to the
16 th century During such periods,
major social and economic losses are
inflicted, especially because the lower
classes have increased
malnourishment problems
Sudden floods and landslides have
also been common since the colonial
period These disasters are increasing
in seriousness on a yearly basis due
to the growing vulnerability caused by
human action and the disorderly use
of the territory
Among human-caused disasters, it is
worth mentioning a fire provoked by
a spill of fuel from a derailed train in
Ipojuca (State of Bahia) in 1993, where
100 people died, mostly children
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