On June 24, 2024, the Unesco Chair "The City that Educates and Transforms", led by ISEC Lisboa and of which the University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos - Unisinos is a member, promoted a public debate on climate disasters in Rio Grande do Sul. The lecture "Climate Change: challenges and overcoming disasters in the cities of Rio Grande do Sul", given by Professor Adriane Brill Thum, highlighted the challenges faced during the heavy flooding that affected São Leopoldo and the Porto Alegre Metropolitan Region in May 2024.

São Leopoldo was severely affected, with 80% of its territory flooded and 180,000 people affected. Unisinos sheltered almost 2,000 people, offering support during the crisis.

Professor Rodrigo Manoel Dias da Silva, representative of the Unesco Chair "The City that Educates and Transforms" at Unisinos, stressed that these debates are essential for rethinking urban education and dealing with climate disasters more rigorously.