The IBGE launched today the Population in risk areas in Brazil publication, in partnership with the National Center for Monitoring and Early Warnings of Natural Disasters - CEMADEN. The areas prone to mass movements, floods and downpours, monitored by this body, were unprecedented associated with the information from the 2010 Census. The methodology was developed to be replicated with the 2020 Census data.

In 2010, the population in risk areas in the 872 Brazilian municipalities monitored by CEMADEN reached 8,270,127 inhabitants, who lived in 2,471,349 permanent private housing units. About 17.8% of the persons who lived in the risk areas of those municipalities were either seniors or children, the most vulnerable age groups.

Salvador was the monitored municipality with the biggest number of residents in risk areas: 1,217,527 persons, or 45.5% of its population.

Of the municipalities under analysis, 107 were in the North Region, 294 in the Northeast, 308 in the Southeast, 144 in the South and 19 in the Central-West.

The characterization of the population vulnerable to natural disasters aims at subsidizing the actions of monitoring, early warning and management of risks and responses to natural disasters. The complete publication can be accessed.

The Population in risk areas in Brazil publication is the result of a technical cooperation agreement signed in 2013 between the IBGE and the National Center for Monitoring and Early Warnings of Natural Disasters - CEMADEN. The population exposed to the risk of natural disasters was analyzed according to its socio-demographic profile, age distribution and access to basic services (water supply, sewage disposal and garbage collection).

More than half of residents in risk areas live in the Southeast

The population in risk areas in the 872 municipalities analyzed and monitored by CEMADEN reached 8,270,127 inhabitants and 2,471,349 permanent private housing units in 2010.

In the 107 municipalities of the North Region that took part in this study, 340,204 residents were in risk areas (3.9% of the total population of those municipalities).

The Northeast was the second region with the highest number of residents in risk areas (2,952,628), which represented 11.4% of the population of the 294 municipalities under analysis.

The Central-West was characterized by the smallest contingent of the population living in risk areas (7,626 residents, which corresponded to 0.3% of the municipalities monitored in the region), as well as by the smallest number of municipalities and risk areas. Of the 19 municipalities analyzed in that region, none of them surpassed 2,000 inhabitants in risk areas.

Having 308 municipalities under analysis, the Southeast Region showed the biggest contingent living in risk areas (4,266,301 residents, which represented 9.8% of the population of the municipalities monitored in the region).

Of the 144 municipalities assesses in the South Region, 703,368 residents in risk areas were counted, representing 6.0% of the population of those municipalities.

Salvador has more than one million of persons living in risk areas

Salvador (BA) was the city that registered the biggest absolute contingent of persons living in areas at risk of mass movements, floods and downpours: 1,217,527 persons, which represented 45.5% of the population of the municipality. The capitals São Paulo (674,329 persons), Rio de Janeiro (444,893), Belo Horizonte (389,218) and Recife (206.761) came right after Salvador.

Children and seniors are 17.8% of population in risk areas

In the 872 Brazilian municipalities under analysis, 17.8% of the population in risk areas were either children under five years (9.2%) or seniors aged 60 years and over (8.5%), considered the most vulnerable age groups to disasters.

In the North Region, 13.0% of the population in risk areas comprised individuals under 5 years and 6.0%, individuals over 60 years. That region stood out by the highest concentration of children living in risk areas. Acre (19.8%), Pará (19.2%) and Amazonas (19.2%) were the three states with the highest number of those vulnerable age groups.

In the Northeast Region, the population exposed to risk areas comprised 9.1% of children under 5 years and 8.4% of persons over 60 years. The state of Pernambuco accounted the lowest amount of children (8.8%) compared with that of seniors (9.5%), the latter representing the biggest concentration in the Northeast. Sergipe (12.3%) and Maranhão (12.0%) recorded the highest amount of individuals under 5 years in the region.

In the Central-West Region, the population in risk areas comprised 9.7% of children under 5 years and 8.4% of seniors. The distribution of exposed children and seniors was relatively balanced among the states of that region, as well as in the states of the Southeast, which posted 9.0% of children and 8.7% of persons aged 60 years and over.

In the South, the exposed population comprised 8.7% of children under 5 years and 9.7% of individuals over 60 years. The states of Santa Catarina (8.9%) and Rio Grande do Sul (11.2%) concentrated the highest proportion of seniors. On the other hand, Paraná registered the highest number of children aged up to 5 years in risk areas (10.8%) compared with the number of individuals over 60 years (6.9%).

26.1% of population in risk areas without appropriate disposal

In the monitored municipalities, 26.1% of the population in risk areas lived in housing units without access to the public sewer system or septic tank, considered appropriate forms of sewage disposal.

The North Region recorded a high percentage of inappropriate sewage disposal, since 70.7% of the residents in risk areas were in this situation. The states of Amapá (83.7%) and Pará (75.5%) posted the highest percentages of residents without this type of service.

In the Northeast Region, 34.5% of the residents in risk areas had appropriate sewage disposal. The state of Maranhão (69.9%) registered the highest percentage. Conversely, the state of Bahia differs from the Northeast as a whole, as it recorded only 11.9% of the residents without a sewage disposal network.

In the Central-West, 52.5% of the persons lived in housing units without appropriate sewage disposal All the states of that region posted more than 40% of the residents in risk areas without access to the general network of sewage disposal.

In the Southeast, 17.7% of the residents in risk areas lived in housing units without appropriate sewage disposal, whereas this percentage was slightly higher in the South Region: 19.7%.

Maranhão, the state with highest percentage of residents in risk areas without appropriate garbage collection

In the 872 municipalities assessed, 4.1% of the residents in risk areas did not have an appropriate garbage collection. The North Region registered the highest percentage of residents with those two characteristics: 14.1%, followed by the Northeast (6.6%). The other Major Regions recorded values below 3.0%.

The states with the highest percentages of residents in risk areas without appropriate garbage collection were: Pará (20.6%), Maranhão (26.1%), Piauí (15.6%), Amazonas (15.1%) and Mato Grosso (4.6%). In the Southeast and South, all the states posted rates below 3.0%.