Flooded streets in Canoas, one of the cities most affected in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Record-breaking floods in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, have caused environmental devastation, the displacement of over 600,000 residents, and the death of 183 people. The government declared it the state’s largest climate disaster ever, with 2.39 million residents affected and major human, non-human, and economic losses. According to a team of international scientists, climate change, intensified by El Niño, made the flooding twice as likely. Experts warn that such extremely rare weather events, once expected to occur every 100 to 250 years, will become more frequent due to the burning of fossil fuels and other forms of environmental degradation. The floods have devastated local economies and communities. While some residents are leaving to start anew, others are choosing to stay and rebuild their lives.
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