Construction of the Rolante River Experimental Basin, Rio Grande do Sul, for integrated disaster and water resources management

Abstract

The experimental basin is a space that integrates science, education, local communities, and territorial governance, promoting water security and population resilience in the face of disasters. The objective of this study was to present the implementation of an experimental basin through hydrometeorological monitoring and diagnosis, as well as mass movement monitoring. This implementation has been carried out in the Rolante River basin (815 km²), located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. For hydrological monitoring, staff gauges and water level sensors were installed in the main streams and tributary rivers, in addition to the implementation of meteorological monitoring through automated weather stations. All generated information is systematized and made freely available to the population through an institutional website. In this way, the experimental basin offers a social technology in which the equipment is not intended only for scientific research but also for the development of citizen science actions. These actions are made possible through training activities in schools and with local residents, as well as by supporting municipal decision-making processes. Thus, the implementation of the experimental basin contributes to strengthening hydrosolidarity and participatory territorial governance with the local population.