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Whist Brazil is not a nation with a noticeable susceptibility to natural disasters, on 12^th January 2011 the Serra region in the state of Rio de Janeiro was hit by unprecedented rains which killed an estimated total of 1,133 people and displaced many more.  Much of the damage done was not merely due to the weather itself but more to a lack of preventative measures against the forces of nature as well as the abundance of highly vulnerable homes on unsafe hills highly prone to mudslides (a common location of the country´s favelas).

One year on and the tragedy has served to demonstrate the ugly, corrupt and massively negligent side of the Brazilian civil service with just 8 of the 170 proposed infrastructural projects being initiated and – of more concern – a noticeable share of both state and donated funds missing from public coffers, as demonstrated in the two short documentaries (filmed in Teresópolis and Nova Friburgo respectively) via RJ Inter TV below:

The floods have drawn comparisons to the much worse event that subsequently occurred in Japan in March 2011 – where response, infrastructure and housing solutions have been significantly more advanced.  In turn, major concerns have been raised with regards to the country´s ability to manage itself in critical situations not to mention the sickening and regularly unscathed behaviour on the parts of those in political leadership.

The issue of social welfare has also been called into question, with many debating that if more focus was redirected to Brazilian low income groups essential needs as opposed to the country´s international image (such as via the preparations for the World Cup and Olympic Games), the magnitude of the damage would never have been as high.

With housing in the Serra, as very few projects can be approved without necessary external infrastructure being in place, a negligible level of definitive action has been undertaken (despite Dilma Rousseff’s criticism of the lack of housing provision at the time) – bar the work of international charity CARE who have been independently donating basic construction materials.