ABSTRACT
Abstract: In recent decades, Brazil’s coast has been subject to rapid urbanization, industrialization, port expansion and development, tourism development, offshore oil and gas exploitation, and activities ranging from shing to shrimp farming and coastal conservation. There is escalating conict between many of these activities and inequitable and environmentally destructive practices are commonplace, especially near urban centers. Climate change is expected to intensify these conicts, and sustainable coastal development will become even more elusive unless coastal communities build adaptive capacity and resilience. This chapter explores the promise, challenges, and opportunities that Brazil’s coastal management provisions present for mainstreaming climate change and building resilience and sustainability. Brazil’s coastal management regime offers considerable potential for integrating climate change adaptation into local community planning and decision-making. Challenges and opportunities for translating legal rhetoric into practical reality are identied. It is recommended that a new program be established to pilot climate change adaptation projects in each of the 17 coastal states of Brazil with a focus on (1) raising public awareness about the coast and climate change through active social learning processes; (2) creating meaningful opportunities for public participation in coastal management efforts; and (3) integrating and mainstreaming coastal management, disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation efforts.
