Risk and adaptation of socio-ecological systems to global change in the dry forests of Northeastern South America

Northeastern South America is among the continent’s most climate-vulnerable regions, marked by low socioeconomic indices and high climatic hazards, particularly droughts. We did a climate change risk assessment for the region’s most important watershed, incorporating the three components of risk — h...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Julia Niemeyer, Fernando M. Resende, Edberto Moura Lima, Mariana M. Vale
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2025.1536445/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Northeastern South America is among the continent’s most climate-vulnerable regions, marked by low socioeconomic indices and high climatic hazards, particularly droughts. We did a climate change risk assessment for the region’s most important watershed, incorporating the three components of risk — hazards, exposure, and vulnerability — a procedure rarely done. We analyzed land use and climate change hazards, human population exposure, and socio-environmental vulnerability by mapping ecosystem services and socioeconomic indices. We pinpointed 15 high-risk municipalities out of 455 in the study region, suggesting existing ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) policies at the municipal level to reduce vulnerability, coupled with watershed-scale technological solutions. We also provide an online dashboard with an interactive map to facilitate results visualization and support the decision-making process. Our proposed approach is transferable globally, focusing on enhancing the effectiveness of EbA in responding to climate change.
ISSN:2296-701X