INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS AND FLOOD
Around 150,000 people are living in informal settlements in Quilmes. Some of them are in extreme bad conditions, it is the case of the “villas”. These settlements are growing very fast in the last few years. Also, most of the settlements are found in the riverside and along the arroyos, reason for which they are exposed to constant floods.
FLOODED AREAS
Floods take place in Quilmes due to two different natural causes: heavy rainfall and sudestada (water level surge from the Rio de la Plata estuary, provoked by strong southeast winds). In both cases the riverbank is highly flooded. Also, the highway that crosses through the flood plain, stops rainfall natural drain and provokes serious floods on the lower areas. Essentially, the area affected by rainfall and sudestada is the same in the 5, 25 and 100 year events, only the deepness of the flood varies.
The riverside is completely flooded due to sudestada, except an area of landfills under the property of CEAMSE. In the case of rainfall, the lower areas of the flood plain as well as the area of arroyos are affected.
RIVERSIDE PLOTS AND RAINFALL
The riverside of la Plata River is divided in various private lots, many of them having a development proposal. Most of these lots and building proposals are in areas affected by rainfall and sudestada floods.
Rainfall floods affect mostly the lots on the East side of Quilmes, where there are no landfills and the terrain hasn’t been highly altered. Also, the lower grounds on the upper part of the highway are seriously flooded.
RIVERSIDE PLOTS AND SUDESTADA
Sudestada floods affect the entire area of the riverside of La Plata River, reaching the upper side of the highway up to la barranca, a pronounced slope that defines the end of the flood plain. The only lots that are not affected by the flood are the landfills from CEAMSE.
Data extracted from:
– BID Rain Drainage Master Plan and
– Universidad de Buenos Aires. Modelación hidrológica – hidráulica de la cuenca Sarandí – Santo Domingo ante un evento de precipitación extrema.
INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS GROWTH
There are many irregular settlements, taking over vacant lands without following the urban grid, as well as consolidated or growing settlements. On the other hand, there is a Program of Urbanization planning interventions on some settlements.
We can see through satellite images that these settlements are growing fast in the past few years, taking over vacant lands and marshes.
