Climate change and the adaptation agenda in Brazilian cities

Abstract

Cities and urban areas are increasingly recognized as strategic arenas for climate change actions. This work analyzes how Brazilian cities are responding to climate change risks in terms of adaptation policies. A survey was conducted with cities that have approved adaptation policies and plans to the impacts of climate change. Next, the main variables that drive these strategies were extracted and analyzed, focusing on agents and institutional arrangements. The results point to two phases of climate change adaptation actions in Brazilian cities: in the first, the highlights are transnational municipal networks, which have introduced the climate issue in the municipal political agenda and have fostered the climate governance capacity of local governments. These networks have also encouraged the formation of municipal climate committees and forums, which played a key role in the elaboration and approval of climate policies. In the second phase, adaptation actions in the cities take place mainly from the knowledge about climate-related risks in these localities.