El Niño: Port of Itajaí sets up task force for extreme weather events

With Santa Catarina under a climate alert, the Port of Itajaí on Wednesday (20) created a Special Commission to Monitor and Assess the Potential Impacts of the El Niño Climate Phenomenon. The group will monitor risks to the port complex’s infrastructure and operations that may be caused by the event.

According to the port authority, the initiative is preventive and seeks to anticipate measures in response to the possible effects of El Niño in the region, including heavy rainfall, rising river levels, storm surges, windstorms, flooding and other extreme weather events that could affect the port complex’s operations.

The commission’s activities will include monitoring and consolidating meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic data related to weather conditions in the region. The group will also assess structural vulnerabilities and operational risks in the Port of Itajaí’s infrastructure and in areas linked to terminal operations.

According to Port of Itajaí Superintendent Artur Antunes Pereira, the creation of the commission strengthens the port sector’s preparedness for extreme weather events and expands coordination among the agencies involved.

“Port management must be prepared to respond responsibly to climate challenges. The creation of this commission is a preventive, technical and necessary measure to ensure operational safety, protect public port infrastructure and maintain activities at the Port of Itajaí and its port complex,” he said.

Team will include several professionals

According to the Port of Itajaí, the commission will include representatives from different areas of the port authority, including administrative, operational, engineering, maintenance, communications and legal departments.

Representatives from JBS Terminais, Portonave, the pilots’ team, the Port Captaincy office, the municipalities of Itajaí and Navegantes, the Military Fire Department, Civil Defense, the company responsible for the Emergency Base and representatives of Intersindical are also expected to take part.

The committee will be responsible for preparing technical studies, reports and preventive recommendations, as well as proposing emergency and corrective measures aimed at protecting infrastructure, operational safety, environmental preservation and the integrity of people involved in port activities.

Santa Catarina under climate alert

The Santa Catarina government signed a “climate alert” decree on Monday (18) to anticipate preventive measures ahead of forecasts for a more intense El Niño in late 2026. According to Governor Jorginho Mello, the measure seeks to reduce red tape and allow the state and municipalities to act before heavy rains arrive.

“It is an advance decree, a preventive one. (…) It is meant to streamline bureaucracy, obstacles and delays in contracting any service so that, when El Niño arrives, when the water comes, we are already well prepared to face it,” he said.

During a press conference, Jorginho said the forecast is a source of concern for the government.

What changes in practice

State Secretary for Protection and Civil Defense Col. Fabiano de Souza said the decree provides for the creation of a crisis committee involving all state departments. He also said municipalities will have 15 days to submit reports with preventive actions and contingency plans.

“Municipalities will send us everything they have been doing and what they intend to do preventively, from updating municipal plans to more operational work such as cleaning,” he said.

The government also plans to expand humanitarian assistance inventories to speed up response in the event of disasters.

“If we build up stocks of what we will need later, I can provide an initial response while the company replenishes supplies,” the secretary said.

Source: NSC Total

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