Planning to Minimize Flood Problems in Vila Leopoldina Catchment in the City of São Paulo, Brazil
The case study presented here is the Vila Leopoldina catchment, located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The basin is located in the west region of the city and suffers every year with floods. This area is highly sensitive because of its occupation for housing, mobility, services, and it also contains the largest wholesale food center of Latin America. This paper presents a complete plan for short-, medium-, and long-term improvements to solve urban drainage issues. The solution herein proposed consists of the increase in drainage capacity, construction of small detention reservoirs, and one dike. The solution was simulated in the SWMM rainfall-runoff model and was tested with an observed event that caused devastation in this area. The presented study supports the development of public urban policies related to drainage systems planning and management. This study was also applied as a basis for planning investments from international funds that finance the proposed improvements.