Evaluating preparedness and resilience initiatives for distressed populations vulnerable to disasters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Floods and landslides have caused devastation and high mortality rates in favela populations in Brazil in recent years. Public agencies of Brazil have increased efforts to improve emergency management. This paper describes an effort using systems analysis and cognitive engineering to improve the design and implementation of mobile command centers for resilience of favela populations vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters in Rio de Janeiro. The effort is described in four parts: (i) Requirements analysis for emergency management with a focus on the populations of favelas, (ii) Exercises with favela populations for projecting future behaviors in emergencies, (iii) Testing of agency priorities for sensitivity to the behaviors of the distressed populations, (iv) Refinement of system designs for on-site disaster response and resilience. The results of the effort include: new systems engineering requirements related to the special needs of distressed populations in the favelas; insights to the various behaviors of children, teenagers, and adults related to the efficacy of emergency management initiatives; and refinements to the conceptual design of several technologies including mobile command and control platforms for disaster resilience. The lessons learned apply generally to situations where emergency management must address the needs and behaviors of vulnerable populations in the aftermath of disasters.