World Bank Invests $119 Million to Shield Santa Catarina From Floods

The initiative targets 54 municipalities, specifically focusing on the Itajaí Valley, a critical economic engine responsible for one-third of the state’s employment. This region houses the Port of Itajaí, which serves as a linchpin for international trade, including beef exports. The memory of the 2008 disaster, which submerged 90 percent of the city and paralyzed port operations at a cost of $35 million per day, remains a primary driver for the current intervention.

Infrastructure upgrades will include dredging river channels, reinforcing embankments, and installing floodgates along the Itajaí-Mirim River. Beyond traditional engineering, the project integrates nature-based flood management and expanded early warning systems to bridge the gap between climate monitoring and local civil defense. Jorge Coarasa, Acting Country Director for the World Bank in Brazil, emphasized that these measures are essential to securing the region's long-term economic stability. This investment serves as a cornerstone of the state's $1 billion "Proteção Levada a Sério" program, potentially establishing a blueprint for flood management across Latin America.