Young people from Brazil and l’Horta Sud exchange experiences and lessons learned following the floods caused by climate change

4 November 2025 – The state of Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil, suffered between April and May 2024 historic floods that led to nearly 200 deaths and more than 500,000 people displaced. Although the situation cannot be compared to the catastrophe experienced in l’Horta Sud last October, it does share some parallels. For example, the involvement and solidarity of young people during the tragedies experienced. In this context, Fundació Horta Sud hosted a meeting between young people from Brazil and from l’Horta Sud to share experiences and lessons learned following the severe floods that have affected both territories.

The participants from Brazil, coming from Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, and from Canoas, a municipality in the metropolitan area, are part of the Demà program. This program offers professional training and practical experience in public bodies to young people aged 14 to 22 in situations of social vulnerability, especially those who have been affected by the floods. The Brazilian delegation was accompanied by Marcelo Braga, deputy director of the Demà Rio Grande do Sul unit; Ana Carolina Silva, director of Demà Barcelona; and Vinicius Ribeiro, director of Demà.

As representatives of l’Horta Sud, there were a young woman from Paiporta and a young man from Torrent, volunteers in the cleanup after the DANA, the promoter of the study «Joves i valors», promoted by the Fundació, Jannis Piñana, and other members of the technical team.

From the Demà program in Brazil, they showed interest in learning first-hand about the work carried out by Fundació Horta Sud on youth participation and community resilience and, specifically, the role of young people during the catastrophe, which the Fundació has researched through a survey.

During the visit, the group learned about the project «Salvem les fotos», an initiative that has made it possible to recover and preserve family photos after the DANA that affected the region. In addition, Fundació Horta Sud presented an overview of the study «Joves i valors», which analyzes the involvement of young people in volunteer work during the catastrophe and the motivations that led them to participate, with the aim of outlining the profile of supportive youth and reflecting on how the understanding of solidarity is changing.

Next, the young people from Brazil and from l’Horta Sud held an open conversation to share experiences, emotions and lessons about how they faced their respective floods and how the solidarity of citizens was key to recovery.

One of the reflections that stood out most during the meeting was that all participants had been affected by the catastrophe and that the effects go beyond material losses. Moreover, the conversation also focused on how to involve the community actively not only in the face of emergencies, but also in everyday life and in responding to global challenges such as the climate crisis.

The day, which ended with a visit to Paiporta, was highly enriching, with the young people sharing experiences and lessons, visibly moved, and reflecting on the importance of solidarity and cooperation in facing exceptional situations. It also served to highlight the role of youth in times of crises and emergencies, and to continue weaving international bonds of solidarity that have enabled learning from one another and contributed to building stronger, more aware communities that are better prepared to face climate challenges.