REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE INTENSIFICATION OF SOCIONATURAL DISASTERS: THE CASE OF SÃO SEBASTIÃO/SP

The combination of social, economic and spatial segregation with extreme weather events increases the consequences of territorialized social asymmetries. The North Coast of São Paulo state (LNSP) is a region susceptible to the association between inequalities present in the territory and the effects of natural catastrophes. The problem investigated is the relationship between the process of occupying space and the increase in risks for the population in São Sebastião. The objective was to analyze the factors that contributed to the environmental disaster that occurred in São Sebastião, LNSP. The research method consisted of the use of secondary economic, social, demographic and climatic data. The results show that the disaster that occurred in São Sebastião resulted from the combination of climatic conditions with the consequences of human actions enhanced by the social and spatial segregation present in the municipality. It is concluded that there is a need for public policies based on social, economic and territorial inclusion, with the non-occupation of land in risk areas. Such public policies imply a logic of urban management with priority for development, with social inclusion and economic and social sustainability.