The document discusses scientific research groups in Brazil that study natural disasters. It notes that such disasters have increased in recent decades and in 2008 alone affected over 2 million people. It examines the research groups by year founded, location, type of institution, researchers' backgrounds, and research topics. Most groups are in southeastern and southern Brazil, which experience most disasters like floods and landslides. While issues like flooding and climate change impacts are increasingly important, few groups currently research those areas due to lack of expertise, outdated groups, and poor databases.