FLOOD VULNERABILITY INDEX IN THE BAIXO-AÇU REGION.
Vulnerability. Floods. Indicators. Mitigate, Impact.
Floods are the result of exceptional rainfall events where the watercourse exceeds its normal limit, which are caused by rainfall highly above the historical average, increasing the frequency of floods in urban and rural areas around the world. Natural disasters caused by floods are among the most devastating natural hazards and cost many lives each year. This type of disaster represents a risk to the population and the economy since the impacts caused by floods are diverse, from the loss of a life to the change in the ecological cycle, as well as the loss of structures. To prevent and mitigate this type of disaster, structural and non-structural measures are used with the intention of minimizing the probability of the event occurring and its consequences, by taking strategic actions. The strategic measures and actions used to prevent and mitigate floods can be measured and based on vulnerability studies in the region, which is an important tool for planning actions in the face of disaster. The present work studies the vulnerability of the region Baixo Açu - RN, which suffers from the effects of floods in years of flood, considering socioeconomic and infrastructure indicators within a delimited area of risk to floods. The study area has locations that are significantly exposed and have a high probability of flooding during rainy periods. Presenting results from areas with high and medium vulnerability.