Taming São Paulo’s floods: Dominant discourses, exclusionary practices, and the complicity of the media

Henrique, Karen Paiva; Tschakert, Petra

doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2019.101940

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…The media tends to treat the high levels of precipitation as a sudden and unexpected occurrence, attributing most of the attention and blame to the weather phenomenon itself, while neglecting certain socioeconomic influences that amplify flood risks. These factors include inadequate infrastructure and maintenance, as well as substandard housing conditions (Henrique & Tschakert, 2019;Huq et al, 2007). This highlight suggests an urgent need to develop and implement effective disaster mitigation and preparedness strategies for extreme weather events (Kiran & Bindu, 2022;Agrawal, 2020).…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Rains, Tragedies and Media Coverage: Analysis of Floods In Rio Grande do Sul

Oliveira,

Holanda,

Ramalho

et al. 2024

RGSA

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Objective: The objective of this study is to present how the tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul is handled by the media, in order to observe whether it is being related to climate change. Theoretical Framework: Environmental disasters have been intensifying with the great advances of human actions, which cause climate change and journalistic structures play a crucial role in shaping the public perception of natural disasters, framing them in the context of climate change. Method: From the use of text mining techniques in reports published in Brazilian news portals about the floods in Rio Grande do Sul, a corpus of 100 texts from Google News was selected, being processed through the Voyant Tools software for extraction and analysis of textual data. Results and Discussion: Media coverage of the tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul highlighted the social consequences and the impact on urban centers. The news simplifies the understanding of the causes of the tragedy, focusing mainly on heavy rains and neglecting factors such as global warming and El Niño. In addition, socioeconomic influences that amplify flood risks, such as poor infrastructure and housing conditions, were neglected in the discussions. The media also emphasized the importance of understanding the interaction between climate and geography to formulate strategies that minimize the effects of flooding and promote the sustainable development of the affected regions. Research Implications: By revealing how climate change narratives are being integrated into coverage of natural disasters, this study helps to understand the role of the media in educating the public and influencing public perception of the need for climate mitigation and adaptation policies. Originality/Value: This study examines how the Brazilian media approaches flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, highlighting the social consequences and the importance of understanding the interaction between climate and geography. Using text mining techniques to analyze a corpus of news stories, the research offers a succinct and objective analysis of media coverage, contributing to an understanding of communication about extreme weather events.

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Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Rains, Tragedies and Media Coverage: Analysis of Floods In Rio Grande do Sul

Oliveira,

Holanda,

Ramalho

et al. 2024

RGSA

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“…These negative effects notwithstanding, the project continues to move forward. Its proponents also insist on branding low-income floodplain dwellers as both environmental villains and recurrent flood victims while simultaneously rendering their voices, needs and desires invisible (Henrique & Tschakert, 2019b). It is precisely this erasure-in-action that this chapter aims to confront.…”

Section: Negotiations and Transformative Engagementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2009, the government of São Paulo announced the removal of 7,500 low-income families from the Tietê River's eastern periphery to implement the PVT (Departamento de Águas e Energia Elétrica, 2015). To justify these removals, the state mobilized denigrating portrayals of informal floodplain communities by depicting them simultaneously as environmental villains who pollute the river and clog drainage networks, and as victims adversely impacted by its recurrent overflow (Henrique & Tschakert, 2019b).…”

Section: Stories From São Paulo's Eastern Peripherymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Transposed to the context of climate change, these lessons offer strategic openings to reframe adaptation according to what people value most. They challenge the assumption that relocating the urban poor, the state's "go to" solution (see Henrique & Tschakert, 2019b), is the only and/or best answer to São Paulo's flooding problem by revealing that the floodplain is not only a space of persistent struggle, but also of belonging, pride and collective history. Recentering adaptation discussions around what marginalized residents value invites a progressive politics that builds on situated capacities and committed local leadership to negotiate possible solutions and inevitable trade-offs.…”

Section: The Embodied Coproduction Of Space and Political Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Urban Movements and Climate Change

2023

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Recent years have seen an explosion of protest movements around the world, and academic theories are racing to catch up with them. This series aims to further our understanding of the origins, dealings, decisions, and outcomes of social movements by fostering dialogue among many traditions of thought, across European nations and across continents. All theoretical perspectives are welcome. Books in the series typically combine theory with empirical research, dealing with various types of mobilization, from neighborhood groups to revolutions. We especially welcome work that synthesizes or compares different approaches to social movements, such as cultural and structural traditions, micro-and macro-social, economic and ideal, or qualitative and quantitative. Books in the series will be published in English. One goal is to encourage nonnative speakers to introduce their work to Anglophone audiences. Another is to maximize accessibility: all books will be available in open access within a year after printed publication.

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“…plays a vital role in the post-crisis responses. Whether environmental conservation will still be considered a priority depends on how the situation is addressed to the public (Henrique and Tschakert, 2019;Miles and Morse, 2007). If news raises excessive optimism about the environmental benefits of the pandemic, it will have a detrimental effect on conservation policies (Helm, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%