Brazil Vulnerability Assessment

In Brazil, the vulnerability assessment will focus the terrestrial/marine interface along the Southern Bahia/Abrolhos (SBA) region, covering an area of 32,000 km² of terrestrial ecosystems and nearly 95,000 km² of marine habitats that support over 500,000 people. The project area harbors the largest forest remnants within the northeast range of the Atlantic Forest biome, as well as the largest and richest coral reefs in the Southern Atlantic, which are part of the Abrolhos Seascape. Employment is generated from natural systems, with nearly 20,000 people living from fisheries, and another 80,000 from tourism.

The species and habitats of the region are threatened by overfishing, inadequate coastal occupation, dredging and other activities incompatible with sustainable development. The region has a history of disturbance during the settlement process, with impacts arising from wood collection (timber extraction or logging of hardwoods), cattle ranching, agriculture (mostly coffee and papaya, as well as cellulose plantations), and a long history of commercial fisheries. These economic activities have led to high levels of deforestation, with less than 25 percent of the original forest cover remaining, mostly in fragments smaller than 100 hectares in size. The river basins of the region are extremely important not only to Atlantic Forest biodiversity, but also to the coral reefs and other elements of the marine ecosystem.

In the SBA system, CI will conduct a climate change vulnerability assessment and Ecosystem-based Adaptation design, followed by fisheries and forest connectivity-related EbA activities. The assessment will determine communities and locations most at risk from climate change, guiding the priority geographies for implementation.