Sustainable flood memory in Brazil

• DOI: 10.3828/jrs.2025.4
• Publication Date: 2025-03-07T15:55:41Z
• Authors: Fernanda Lima-Silva; Joanne Garde-Hansen

The UK ‘Sustainable Flood Memories’ project (2011–2014) and publications were shared with Brazilian researchers from the ‘Waterproofing Data’ (2019–2022) to develop a transnational methodology for eliciting flood memories local communities located in flood-prone areas. What has been striking about collaboration is similarities terms of emotions, knowledge, tradition around experiences, adaptation despite radically different socio-cultural economic contexts alongside significant differences relationships/dependence upon state, water governance systems, approaches sustainability. This article draws creative work we did generating events (drawing Museu da Pessoa ) cities São Paulo Rio Branco, two very locations, compares these sustainable memory research UK. We explore what multi-directional approach past present narratives remembering forgetting floods variable offer. Our findings bring lessons how arts humanities can be brought bear risk management by showing trans-memorialization, commemorative, storytelling methods provide solidarity across national containers politics management.