According to the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2018, 2021), we have probably increased the average temperature of the planet by approximately 1°C, and can reach the mark of 1.5°C to 2°C in the coming decades. The incidence of an average of higher temperatures brings us greater risks, favoring the occurrence of extreme weather events such as heat waves, heavy rains and droughts, in certain regions (IPCC, 2018).

Factors such as anthropic actions and the current model of life corroborate the occurrence and intensification of extreme weather events. The impacts of these episodes can be diverse, they affect the economy, urban mobility, they can facilitate the transmission of diseases, cause deaths and financial losses at multiple levels (Nobre, 2011).

Population densification and disorderly urban occupation, such as in precarious and informal settlements without adequate infrastructure, also intensify the disaster's risks. In the city of São Paulo, the pattern of development associated with population and urban growth and the increase in temperature, potentiate extreme events and disasters, contributing to the generation of a risk scenario.

Disaster risks highlighting a series of vulnerabilities present in our unequal and non-inclusive society. And it is in this combination of risk and vulnerability that disasters occur. If we maintain the current way of using and occupying the land, we will contribute to the increase of populations exposed to these risks in an increasingly intense way (Nobre, 2011). Thus, it is essential to discuss, elaborate and implement measures by the government, private institutions and organized civil society to minimize the risks and effects on the population and the environment.

This paper is part of the research being developed in the Graduate Program in Smart and Sustainable Cities at Nove de Julho University- Uninove. The main effort is for understanding how the combination of risk and disaster relates to the variable of social vulnerability within urban spaces, so that it is possible to contribute with discussions that deal with planning measures and risk reduction management. To address this gap, the qualitative research methodology will be used, through the interview tool, to analyze the perception and approach of social vulnerability and disasters within the Civil Defense organization of the city of São Paulo.