Advisor: Maria Fernanda Lemos
Dissertation: Adaptation of riverine systems as a strategy to reduce flooding
Defense date: 25/04/2022
Abstract
Contemporary cities are part of a social-ecological system, which their geo-
graphic localization pattern, is related to being near natural resources necessary for
their development, among them, there are the water resources like rivers, lakes, and
oceans. For this reason, urbanization both conditions and it is condition by nature,
and the interactions between the built, social, and ecological environment, create
complexities and challenges. Among these challenges, some can produce risks by
the way cities as developing and their relation to natural resources like water, which
can be considered a resource as much as a hazard because there is the risk of flood-
ing and the vulnerability conditions of the urban environment about it, which can
be exacerbated by climate change. River flooding can be increased by the change
in the precipitation patterns and sea-level rise in some regions. Although, when an-
alyzing usual approaches, climate change shows up as a secondary factor. Thereby,
this research aims to propose an analytical method to assess the potential contribu-
tion of projects, which act to reduce flooding, in urban rivers to adapt to climate
change. In this regard seeks to analyze four case studies located in megacities,
which have as one of the aims the reduction of the risk of flooding. Among them,
one considers climate change in its elaboration, therefore is an example of adapta-
tion, that reacts to past events and anticipates future risks, in which the others pre-
sent an uncertain result.