The municipality of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, occupies the 16th position in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) ranking of the cities most vulnerable to climate change in the world. It is in this context that, this Wednesday (November 6th), the launch of the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Analysis and Adaptation Strategy of the Municipality of Recife, during the Brazilian Climate Change Conference, an event taking place in the city until November 8th.

The document was prepared by the Recife City Hall, Waycarbon, the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainability, the Pelópidas Silveira Institute, and ICLEI with the aim of assessing the climate threats to which Recife is subjected and pointing out ways to adapt. According to Mayor Geraldo Júlio, "It is a privilege for Recife to access the knowledge of these entities to complete the analysis and understand the risks and consequences of climate change so far, and thus outline concrete actions to preserve lives and reduce the damage caused to people's quality of life," he emphasized.

Released on the same day that Recife signed the decree recognizing the Climate Emergency, the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Analysis was based on the methodology developed by the World Bank and Columbia University – New York for identifying critical areas. The final index takes into account the following threats to the municipality: river flooding, landslides, vectors of communicable diseases, meteorological drought, rising sea levels, and heat waves.

According to the document, 45.7% of Recife's coastline is under a high vulnerability zone, meaning the region will be rapidly affected by rising sea levels. Approximately 81% of urban constructions are less than 30 meters from the shoreline and located on land below 5 meters in height. Furthermore, the city suffers from rainfall over areas of inadequate occupation and insufficient drainage infrastructure, resulting in floods and landslides. In this context, the projected increase in flood risk by 2040 is 68.44%.

Another point highlights the climate as a risk to the population of Recife, in the context of public health. The document indicates that the entire population is subject, to some degree, to the threat of diseases such as Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya. The climate is an aggravating factor for the proliferation of the disease-transmitting vector, specifically the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

Heat waves are another consequence of the climate. Large urban centers amplify the impacts on temperature due to buildings, paving, and the reduction of green areas.

However, Recife has been working towards a commitment to the climate agenda since 2012, when it was selected as one of the cities in the ICLEI project with UN-Habitat, Urban LEDS. The construction of an effective city monitoring and adaptation policy resulted in an inventory of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, the Municipal Plan to Combat Climate Change, the Municipal System of Protected Areas (SMUP), and now, the document on Climate Change Risk Analysis and Adaptation Strategy for Recife.

Among the actions carried out in the municipality from 2013 to 2019, we can highlight, in the context of vulnerability to flooding, the expansion of vegetation cover through tree replanting, which improved water runoff. In addition, investments in drainage and management infrastructure were made through the Urban Stormwater Drainage and Management Master Plan, combined with the Green Roof Law. In 2018, the investment was R$ 2,708,667.20. Of the 177 critical flood points in recent years, 90 have been resolved. Regarding coastal erosion, the City Hall maintains an annual investment of R$ 1.5 million.

The launch of the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Analysis and Adaptation Strategy for the Municipality of Recife comes within the context of the resumption of the Urban LEDS II project, which presupposes the implementation of the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Plan. Furthermore, the Analysis document is a catalyst for funding sources as it identifies priority actions for adapting to climate change in the city of Recife.