Brazilian coastal vulnerability to climate change

Abstract. The coastal zone of Brazil includes a variety of coastal forms, such as wide occurrence of sedimentary cliffs, large and deeply incised estuaries, crystalline headlands and low-lying coastal plains. These forms will respond in different ways to the expected climate changes and associated sea level rise. The potential vulnerability of the distinct coastal types along the Brazilian coast to climate change is evaluated. Due to the low occupation of large sectors of the coastline, the risks are concentrated in the urbanized areas. The largest impacts are expected to be caused by floods. The absence of long-term observations of oceanographic data or detailed altimetric maps presents a major difficulty for the evaluation of different risk scenarios at the local level and consequently for the application of measures to minimize these impacts over the population