© The Geological Society of London 2006 1 Urban regulations and climate change in low lying coastal cities, State

Abstract: Studies carried out in the North of Brazil reveal that the low-lying coastal zone has been severely and increasingly impacted by storm floods and erosion processes in the last 25 years affecting the life and socioeconomic activities (fishing, tourism, crab and shrimp collection) of the population. Diverse authors correlate this situation with evidence of climate change and global and relative sea-level rise. In response to these impacts a variety of autonomous and/or planned coastal defense measures and adaptation strategies have been applied in the region, but with only limited success. Some land-use laws and urban regulations of the coastal zone of the State of Pará- Municipal setback regulations, and urban zoning laws at federal and muncipal levels, such as the 'Non Aedificandi ' (no-building) areas, and the 'Terras de Marinha ' (marine lands) areas are described. The setback zones’s objective is to keep structures away from potential erosion and flooding damage, and protection of the public sight and access to the shore. The 'non aedificandi ' areas regulate the land use near the channels and rivers, and the 'Terras de Marinha ' are a 33m-wide strip of federal land horizontally measured landward from the position of the average high tide level of 1831 affecting the islands and the coast, river and lake margins, up to the place where tidal influence is observable. Then, they are analyzed as a planning tool for preventing, discouraging, restricting or prohibiting huma