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Pitch

Enable climate-smart governments in Brazil by integrating climate change projections into strategic and everyday decisions in public life


Description

Summary

Everybody believes that climate change is real in Brazil. However, citizens are not aware of how they should protect themselves from climate impacts. Public perception about climate risks and their management is still relatively low in the country, in line with the mindset of public authorities, which just presume the costs of acting are immense.

Currently, federal policies are currently out-of-speed in advancing adaptation in the country. Meanwhile, local decisions made on policies and programs are not compatible with a warmer and less predictable climate.

A National Adaptation Plan will be enacted in 2016 without specific adaptation measures. This is because the design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure are mostly defined at the local level.

Climate-related data has been made available online through a program coordinated by the Presidency of Brazil (entitled Brazil 2040). Nevertheless, local governments and private property owners keep  investing in infrastructure without the consideration of such data and any other forward-looking climate change scenarios. 

So, without even being aware, governments today are making climate-stupid decisions, spending taxpayers moneys in shorter lifetime infrastructures and reducing resilience. 


Category of the action

Mitigation/Adaptation, Changing public attitudes about climate change


What actions do you propose?

This initiative aims to:

1 - develop a protocol for the integration of climate data into public life, through the creation of a Coalition of Citizens and Mayors in Brazil;

2 - pilot the integration of climate scenarios into government planning, like the Rio de Janeiro City one, which uses Waze's database to inform the Mayor's decision on transportation in the city;

3 - facilitate agreement about how to prepare for and adapt to climate change risks through collaborative problem-solving  in at-risk communities.


Who will take these actions?

For the creation of the Coalition and establishment of a protocol of climate data integration into decision making (1), we will conduct a stakeholder assessment during 2 months, using volunteer students, and then unite actors in a collective meeting.

To pilot the integration of climate scenarios into government planning (2), we will develop a dashboard for a/the Mayor, aiming to make it available online (excluding confidential information). For this, we will have to work with innovators and civil servants working with big data/e-gov/etc.

To facilitate agreement about how to prepare for and adapt to climate change risks through collaborative problem-solving (3), we will select in a survey within the Coalition which at-risk communities to prioritize. We will then make a do-shop where citizens, organizations and authorities will do a community role-play simulation. To that end, we will develop 1 or 2 simulation cases, which resembles the real challenges of that community. The impact will be a critical reflection about adaptation measures and, possibly, the adoption of concrete measures for their particular context. 

A new Coalition will be formed, including Mayors and citizens.

Citizens will be mobilized online and offline.

A new, virtual, lean organization named "Climate Do-Tank" or "Do Clima" in Portuguese will be created to run these actions. It will consist in a strategic board (political and technical experts) and associate collaborators, plus 2 people and volunteers. 


Where will these actions be taken?

Brazil. We will work in Rio de Janeiro and Brasília, at least. 


What are other key benefits?

- Public perception about climate risks affecting cities and communities will become greater than today

- Mayor's role in managing climate risks is clarified and his sense of responsibility is elevated

- Public is apt to demand action on specific climate risks

- Integration of historical and forward-looking climate data is enabled

- No-regret adaptation options are adopted in strategic fashion, not spontaneously only


What are the proposal’s costs?

 

Workshops $10,000

Smart data integration $30,000

 


Time line


Related proposals

The Enabling Adaptation proposal pioneered a consensus-building approach to climate adaptation planning. We would love to collaborate with them in the Action #3. 


References