ABSTRACT
Over the last years, the risk related to natural disasters has become more severe due to the intensified climate change combined with the expansion of urban areas and increased land-use. Therefore, worldwide Governments and Civil Protection agencies have to deal with the definition of plans and policies for the prevention and the mitigation of risk. In this context, the protection of the so-called ‘tangible heritage’ such as buildings, infrastructures and monuments is of primary importance, together with all the strategies that guarantee the safety of populations. However, an important attention should be also driven to the preservation of memory, culture and local identity, the so-called ‘intangible heritage’. In the current world subjected to a constant transformation process, which cannot be stopped, the survival of traditions assumes a significant role in the adaptation to everyday changes. While several actions to protect the tangible heritage applied nowadays, the fragile intangible heritage is frequently exposed to the risk of “amnesia”, since there is little concern to this issue.
In this matter, an interesting case-study is represented by Paraty, an historical city located on the Atlantic coast of Brazil. The city has a peculiar history and represents an internationally recognized heritage, both for the architecture and the landscape. Paraty is subjected to a significant risk of flooding, mainly due to past modifications in the flows of the main rivers of the city, and an uncontrolled urban sprawl. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the case-study of Paraty, illustrating its heritage and history, but also examining the situation with respect to natural risks through climatic data and risk maps. The proposal of some possible strategies to manage the risk is outlined, with a discussion of the technical aspects beneath. Thus, this work offers a comprehensive analysis of threats and possible solutions, considering both the tangible and intangible heritage of Paraty, paving the way for a multifaceted plan to make a city more resilient to natural risks.
