Reducing flood risks and improving living conditions in Ribeirao Isidoro Basin, Belo Horizonte

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The Project follows a multipurpose approach that combines innovations in flood risk reduction interventions and urban upgrading in the Ribeirão Isidoro basin tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of the Nado and Vilarinho basins and the Izidora region. On the one hand, the Nado and Vilarinho watersheds present challenges in finding sufficient space to detain, retain and discharge increasing amounts of rain in already consolidated and densely occupied areas. On the other hand, in the downstream Izidora region, the challenge is to address the critical needs of a vulnerable population that suffers from higher levels of deprivation within the city, while assuring that urban water management and environmental preservation features are fully integrated into the new urban expansion and settlement areas.The proposed Project focuses on:(i) enhancing flood protection in selected areas of the Nado and Vilarinho basins, thus benefiting approximately 278,300 people;(ii) improving the precarious living conditions that prevail among the approximately 12,500 vulnerable inhabitants of the four selected settlements; reducing populations living in areas with geological and/or geotechnical risks and environmentally protected areas; and containing the advance of informal urban sprawl over environmentally sensitive areas; (iii) strengthening the institutional capacity of the Borrower in the following areas: (a) urban planning instruments to balance urban expansion, promote environmental protection, and improve land management; (b) innovative strategies for the operation, maintenance and management of parks and environmentally protected areas; (c) alternative mechanisms for co-financing affordable housing; (d) sustainable construction methods and technologies, including nature-based solutions and renewable energies, for the provision of climate-smart urban infrastructure, public spaces, and residential and public buildings; (e) integrated urban water management and disaster risk management; and (f) citizens’ engagement and participatory processes.