Environmental Impact & Risks - Climate change is causing rising sea levels, with satellite measurements indicating a near doubling in the rate of sea level rise in the last decade compared to the previous two decades [2] - A pessimistic scenario estimates sea levels could rise by nearly 1 meter, posing significant threats to coastal zones where approximately 40% of the world's population (25 billion people) resides [2][3] - 1 billion people live in low-elevation coastal zones, making them highly vulnerable to erosion, coastal flooding, and saltwater intrusion into estuaries and deltas due to climate change [3] - The Amazon River's mouth, home to about 7 million people, faces intense geological processes and is highly susceptible to damage from rising sea levels, with tides extending over 800 km inland [5][6] - Oil spills from ships pose an immediate and ignored threat to waterways, highlighting a lack of preparedness in terms of information and response networks [13][14] Proposed Solutions & Actions - A three-pronged approach is needed: addressing information gaps, actively involving communities in solutions, and ensuring decision-makers utilize and act on available information [8][9][10][11] - The creation of the "Observatório Popular do Mar" (Popular Sea Observatory) aims to gather information with the support of communities, who observe, measure, and reflect on the impacts of tides on their territories [9][10] - Forums are needed to integrate communities, civil society, governments, companies, and citizens to make informed decisions and implement nature-based solutions, while also embracing innovation and technological adaptation [11][12] - There is a need to increase knowledge about Amazonian coastal and marine systems to inform decision-making and to bring visibility to the people and environments affected [15][16]

Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events - Extreme weather events are more intense than previously anticipated, with 700 mm (7 meters) of water falling in less than 5 days [7] - Climate change scenarios are worse than projected, with measured temperatures exceeding the worst predictions from 2007 [11] - A 1941 flood in Porto Alegre, followed by the construction of 14 floodgates (5 meters high), proved insufficient to prevent future disasters, highlighting the limitations of solely relying on infrastructure [4][14] Disaster Response and Mitigation - Rapid connection and collaboration between satellite operators, the National Water Agency, the Army Cartography, universities, and other institutions enabled quick aid distribution after a recent flood [6][7] - A new supercomputer has been acquired and tested to improve weather forecasting models, with the aim of more accurately predicting extreme weather events [12][13] - The development of Brazil's first geostationary satellite is underway to monitor weather fronts from the Arctic to Antarctica, aiming to save lives [13][14] Collaboration and System Improvement - The country suffered 19 billion in losses due to the flood [5] - The establishment of a national meteorology system is crucial to avoid overlaps, optimize public resources, and improve weather forecasts for civil defense institutions [16][17] - Building connections and knowledge sharing between institutions, people, and technologies are essential for resilience against future extreme events [3][15][17]

Eu faço parte da primeira geração de humanos que precisou refletir sobre que planeta nós deixaríamos pros nossos filhos e pros nossos netos. a primeira geração que precisou encarar de frente o fato de que os recursos naturais do planeta são finitos. E embora a ecologia só tenha entrado recentemente nas agendas políticas internacionais, ela sempre fez parte da minha forma de pensar.E hoje, responsável por duas gerações de descendentes, eu queria compartilhar aqui com vocês um um importante recorte dessa ques ...