Science Vital for Effective Climate Change Adaptation Plans, University of São Paulo Experts Say
The plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies approved the proposal, a Senate substitute, which will now be submitted for presidential approval and establishes guidelines for climate change adaptation plans; the version of the bill drafted by the senators includes the formatting of these plans, which must have municipal, state and federal versions. Professor Marcos Buckeridge, head of the Institute of Biosciences at USP and currently vice-director of the Institute of Advanced Studies (IEA) at USP, tells us more about the measure.
The professor believes that the case of Rio Grande do Sul will be a turning point in the treatment of climate issues in Brazil. He comments that, despite the delay, the discussion of the project represents progress on the agenda. “The project is two decades late, and we have been indicating that these changes are necessary for a long time. We have needed to reduce carbon emissions for years, but we continue to do so and are now seeing the consequences. However, having the law is the first step. We need to take the next steps, find funds and implement the measures.”
Regarding the division of guidelines into municipal, state and federal spheres, the professor classifies it as essential. “This idea of interactions between spheres is very important. And, in fact, we need the planning at the top of this hierarchy to be municipal, because cities are different and need specific plans. Our federal pact is not good in this sense, it ends up limiting localized actions a lot, because it centralizes decisions at the federal level. It is not efficient to address the climate issue this way. Each city has its own demands and needs freedom to execute its plans”, he states.
Priorities
The plan also foresees that the most vulnerable areas in different parts of Brazil should be prioritized. “Coastal cities like Recife, Salvador, and Rio de Janeiro are at serious risk due to rising sea levels. In the interior, we see a serious risk in Minas Gerais and São Paulo regarding heat waves, which are a very serious issue. More arid regions, such as the caatinga in the Northeast, also need to receive special attention, so there are several hotspots that will be monitored,” he explains.
The project states that climate change adaptations and their strategies will all be based on scientific evidence. For the professor, this is a fundamental premise. “Science is absolutely essential for successful planning. It is through science that we can observe the results, make the right decisions, implement measures and adjust them as necessary. All of this is much more efficient with the observation of scientific data.”