The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) starts collecting data for the Special Survey on the Rio Grande do Sul Floods in 2024 (PEERS) this Monday (15). PEERS, an experimental survey, is being conducted for the first time, and has the objective of understanding how people were affected during the floods in the state and finding out how their lives are one year from then. The survey will be conducted this semester until December 19, exclusively by telephone at (21) 2142-0123. The launch event will take place this Monday (15), at 10 am, at the headquarters of Secretaria Estadual da Fazenda do Rio Grande do Sul (State Finance Secretariat) in Porto Alegre; it will be streamed live on Digital IBGE. Access the PEERS page on the IBGE website.

The survey sample is formed by more than 30,000 households in 133 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, affected by the disaster, with telephone numbers registered in the 2022 Population Census. The results are expected to be released in the first half of 2026. The survey is the result of IBGE's participation in the task force created by the Presidency of the Republic to assist Rio Grande do Sul after the disaster, which included the creation of Singed Lab, IBGE's innovation laboratory. The Rio Grande do Sul State Government, through its Finance Secretariat, is providing IBGE with full support in the dissemination of the survey in the state.

According to Márcio Pochmann, president of the IBGE, "the unprecedented survey on the impacts of the 2024 floods represents a huge gain for public knowledge; it is also necessary support for climate change policies." He recalls that "after IBGE's immediate, focused effort to help victims of the tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul, a qualified team from the IBGEdeveloped a special survey methodology that was presented to the Rio Pardo Intermunicipal Services Consortium in June 2025 for final testing."

IBGE's Deputy Director of Surveys, Vladimir Miranda, emphasizes that understanding the reach of the impacts of this extreme climate event is crucial. "The survey will provide relevant data for our planning of structural public policies and support the creation of prevention and fast response plans in the case of future climate disasters," he stated. For Juliana Paiva, IBGE's Deputy Manager of Social Studies and Surveys, PEERS is a milestone for environmental statistics. "The survey offers a pioneer approach to measuring the impacts of natural disasters, and it is the first time a household survey will be entirely conducted through remote collection on the phone." 

Households received a letter about their participation in the survey, asking respondents to save the IBGE number in their contact list and answer the call. The information will be collected directly via phone call to respondents' cell phones and confidentiality is guaranteed by law.

How to confirm the identity of the data collection agent

One hundred data collection agents from the IBGE's Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview Center (CETAC) will conduct the interviews via the telephone number (21) 2142-0123. Respondents can confirm the agent's identity by calling 0800 721 8181 or by emailing peers@ibge.gov.br. Selected respondents can also schedule an interview through these two channels. Simply provide your name and the address where the survey letter will be received.

As a resident answers the call at (21) 2142-0123, an IBGE agent will confirm their identity and confirm whether they meet the criteria for participation. The informant must have been present in the household at some point during the flood period, between April and May 2024, and be at least 14 years of age.

For data collection, Rio Grande do Sul was divided into seven regions. In Phase 1, agents will call informants living in Alvorada, Arroio dos Ratos, Barra do Ribeiro, Cachoeirinha, Canoas, Eldorado do Sul, Esteio, Gravataí, Guaíba, Nova Santa Rita, Porto Alegre, and Sapucaia do Sul. Residents in a specific area will receive calls at each phase, according to the schedule below:

• Sep 15 - 26: Alvorada, Arroio dos Ratos, Barra do Ribeiro, Cachoeirinha, Canoas, Eldorado do Sul, Esteio, Gravataí, Guaíba, Nova Santa Rita, Porto Alegre, Sapucaia do Sul. 

• Sep 29 - Oct 10: Novo Hamburgo, Taquara, Montenegro, Charqueadas (23 municipalities);

• Oct 13-17: Passo Fundo, Carazinho, Frederico Westphalen, Marau, Erechim, Tapejara, Soledade, Nonoai, Três Passos, Ijuí, Palmeira das Missões, Cruz Alta (25 municipalities);

• Oct 20-31: Santa Cruz do Sul, Lajeado, Sobradinho, Encantado (39 municipalities);

• Nov 3-7: Pelotas, Camaquã (6 municipalities);

• Nov 10-14: Caxias do Sul, Bento Gonçalves, Nova Prata (11 municipalities);

• Nov 17-28: Santa Maria, São Gabriel, Uruguaiana, Cachoeira do Sul (17 municipalities);

• Dec 1- 19: all the regions.

* see the complete list of 133 municipalities on the IBGE website

Special Survey on the Rio Grande do Sul Floods in 2024 (PEERS) 

The floods that swept through Rio Grande do Sul in 2024 affected different socioeconomic segments of the population. The survey references include recommendations from the United Nations Statistical Commission and the World Bank, as well as international experiences with other climate events. 

The objectives of PEERS are to increase understanding of the damage suffered during the floods, of the socioeconomic characteristics at the time of the floods, and of the degree of severity experienced, in addition to providing insight into the type of support requested and received. Other objectives are understanding the living conditions of the residents of municipalities affected in 2024 and the situation one year after the floods.

The topics covered in the survey questionnaire are: Impacts of floods on homes: flooding and access, physical damage, interruptions to water, electricity, and internet supply, damage to vehicles and/or loss of high-value assets (furniture, appliances, work equipment, electronic devices); Impacts of floods on areas, neighborhoods, and streets near homes: damaged homes, flooded streets, destroyed or closed highways, broken bridges, street conditions (trash, lighting, safety), and public transportation; Household incidents and impacts of floods on residents' lives: rescue (means of transportation used, people responsible for the rescue), emergency aid (first aid, food, or water), medical care and hospitalization/healthcare unit, evacuation, damage/loss of documents, travel (work/school/daycare or health services), social life and/or life with family or friends, and physical or mental health.

Other topics in the questionnaire include: Profile of the affected population: date of birth/age and level of education in April 2024, color or race, level of education, information on current housing and reason for moving, household income in April 2024; Education and work before and after the floods; Assessment of current quality of life (whether it worsened or improved after the floods), access to health services, internet, water supply, electricity, lighting, garbage collection, street cleaning, water drainage, sewage, and public transportation; Public financial assistance related to the floods; and Prevention and recovery (knowledge of measures adopted and opinion on recovery meaures).