Salvador City Hall
The Pitch
Salvador City Hall reimagined their disaster management to keep residents safer. They built a new cross-departmental program that engages residents in building new structures, promotes climate resilience, and trains people in disaster awareness and response.
The Problem
Salvador’s residents are at high risk in the event of a natural disaster. The city is located on a geologic fault and has been undergoing rapid urbanization, meaning that many of its structures are unstable and unfit for surviving a disaster.
The Process
- Restructured the city’s Civil Defense to create a comprehensive monitoring, warning and response system to prevent deaths from natural disasters
- Developed structural action plans to deploy slope stabilization, drainage infrastructure, waste management, gardens and accessibility structures
- Stabilized slopes using a geotextile and PVC to create geomanta, a slope lining system that is designed to prevent landslides by preventing soil saturation
- Provided financial support to families impacted by severe weather
- Implemented Mobiliza, a volunteer program that trains citizens in prevention and response actions
- Brought educational programs to schools and the general public
The Impact
- Installed 298 geomantas and 125 hillside containments as of 2023
- The geomanta technology used is low-cost, easy to install and temporary, which allows the city to continually adapt
- Trained 2,000+ people via Mobiliza
- Spread community awareness about disaster preparedness and response
- Built community capacity to mobilize prevention and relief projects
- Provided educational programs in schools that reached 9,545 students, developing a culture of safety among youth
- Supported 26,358 families who faced emergencies caused by harsh weather conditions to access hygiene, nutrition, shelter and more
- Was designated as a Resilience Hub of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Building Resilient Cities Initiative, allowing the city to guide other municipalities in disaster risk reduction
- Developed trainings to share knowledge about best practices with other cities across Brazil
