Porto Alegre is facing the challenge of "rebuilding lives" and making the city resilient again following the unprecedented floods that hit southern Brazil. In an interview with AFP, Porto Alegre Mayor Sebastiao Melo acknowledges the estimated financial costs and the need to avoid new climate disasters. "Porto Alegre's flood protection system dates back to the 1970s," says Melo, "it needs to be fully reassessed." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES