This paper examines the institutional response to the 2022 floods in the Médio Mearim region (Pedreiras and Trizidela do Vale, Brazil) through an institutional capacity lens. It analyzes how organizational resources, governance arrangements, coordination mechanisms and anticipatory routines conditioned adherence to national (PNPDEC) and international (Sphere) humanitarian standards in the context of recurrent flooding.
The study adopts a qualitative embedded single case design integrating three sources of evidence: participant observation conducted during the emergency response; systematic documentary analysis of federal, state and municipal plans, decrees, operational reports and situation records and analysis of hydrological time series from official river gauges to reconstruct the chronology of the event and examine the relationship between alert thresholds and institutional activation. A structured audit trail was developed to ensure traceability between data sources and analytical claims.
The analysis identifies four systemic bottlenecks shaping institutional performance: fragmented multi-level coordination affecting resource allocation; shelter management practices characterized by partial adherence to occupancy and WASH standards; information asymmetries regarding donations, occupancy and needs that constrained prioritization and limited institutionalization of anticipatory planning despite the recurrent nature of floods in the region. Simultaneously, the findings document adaptive practices that enhanced operational agility, interinstitutional coordination and accountability under emergency conditions.
The study is based on a single case and does not include systematic interviews with affected populations. Although triangulation of participant observation, documentary evidence and hydrological data strengthens construct validity, future research should incorporate comparative case studies and stakeholder interviews to deepen the understanding of institutional learning and community participation in recurrent flood contexts.
The paper proposes a replicable analytical grid linking PNPDEC and Sphere indicators to observable evidence and identifies core governance routines to strengthen institutional capacity, including predefined activation triggers, structured shelter management protocols, standardized information flows and periodic simulation exercises.
Strengthening institutional capacity through clearer coordination routines, integrated monitoring and structured community engagement can improve shelter conditions, reduce vulnerability and enhance public trust in disaster governance, particularly in territorially exposed municipalities.
By articulating institutional capacity as an analytical framework and institutional response as an empirical object grounded in direct observation and documentary evidence, the study advances critical engagement with humanitarian standards and disaster governance. It offers an empirically grounded and transferable framework for subnational governments managing recurrent hydrological emergencies.
