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URBAN RESILIENCE AND THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON CITIES

Latin American cities and metropolitan regions contribute to climate change and, at the same time, are vulnerable to their impacts. This vulnerability is due to their complex nature, but it is also aggravated by the absence or poor conditions of urban infrastructure and by the concentration of poor residents in high risk areas.

URBAN INFRAESTRUCTURAL RESILIENCE TO IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN COSTAL CITIES

The global and local climate changes can increase the risk of a number of disasters in Brazilian cities, with great social and economic losses. The increase in heavy rainfall may have two main serious consequences: flooding and landslides, particularly in metropolises, such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Salvador and Recife.

URBAN RESILIENCE AND THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON COASTAL CITIES

The rise in sea levels may also

bring serious economic and

human losses for the Brazilian

coastal cities and metropolises,

particularly in northeastern Brazil.

In such areas there are large

populations, strategic urban

infrastructure, important cultural

heritage and very high value real

estates, as is the case in the

Metropolitan Region of Recife.

FIELDS OF RESEARCH

Environmental Sustainability

Climate Change

Heritage Conservation

Local Development

Peri-urban Interface

“Resilience is a process of bringing together a set of adaptive capacities to create a positive trajectory of functioning and adaptation after a disturbance” (Norris et al., 2008)

URBAN RESILIENCE:THE CONCEPTUAL BASIS

"Resilience is the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and reorganize while undergoing change, so as to still retain essentially the same function, identity and feedbacks.." (Walker et al., 2004)

A resilient city is a sustainable network of physical systems and human communities. Physical systems are the constructed and natural environmental components of the city, such as the built roads, buildings, infrastructure, communications and energy facilities, as well as its waterways, soils, topography, geology, and other natural systems (Godschalk, 2003)

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INFRASTRUCTURAL

COMMUNITY

INSTITUTIONAL

DIMENSIONS OF THE URBAN RESILIENCE

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The relationship between the resilience to climate change and cities’ sustainability looking through the infrastructural aspects.

The degree of vulnerability in the urban infrastructure and its influence in the resilience to climate change underway in the cities.

The effects that the economic priorities have on the mitigation of the climate change impacts on the urban infrastructure.

THE INFRASTRUCTURAL DIMENSION

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Central Concept

• Community resilience is “the ability to overcome adversity or a continually stressful life” (Brown, 1996 apud Norris et al. p. 129, 2008).

THE COMMUNITY DIMENSION

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FACTORS THAT FAVOURS RESILIENCE

AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL

Cultural identity, incorporating customs, values, idiomatic expressions, dances, songs, etc., that become an inherent part of the group Social humour, the capacity of the group to “see the comedy in the midst of tragedy” Collective honesty – carrying out public functions decently and transparently (OJEDA, 2005

AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

Skills, adaptability Resistance to destruction Initiative Getting on with people

Humour, creativity Morality Consistent self-esteem I have, I am, I can

+THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

“I have” (support) – people I can rely on

“I am” (development of intrapsychic strength) – being loved, loving and respecting others – taking responsibility for own actions and confidence in the future

“I can” (acquiring interpersonal skills and conflict resolution) – facing problems and finding support from others (Grotberg, 2005):

Resilient conduct means preparing for, living with and learning from adverse experiences

No connection between socioeconomic level and resilience, nor between intelligence and resilience or social class and resilience.  

Basis of Individual Resilience – Resilient factors

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Capacity of Governance

Capacity to Learning from

Disasters

Capacity to Understanding

RisksCapacity to Invest

Capacity to Organizing

Spaces

THE INSTITUTIONAL DIMENSION