New insights on Climate Change and Adaptation Research in Brazil

Abstract

We present a thorough analysis of the scientific production in climate change and adaptation in Brazil. We employed a mix of quantitative and qualitative approaches to reveal and discuss how climate change research has been conducted. We compare the broader climate change research with more specific climate adaptation research in order to understand the main differences and convergence points, and how science conducted from a mitigation and adaptation perspective demonstrates potential to confront the climate change challenges and drivers in Brazil. Four main clusters of investigation within climate change were detected: 1) impacts on forest and plant development, 2) land use and ecology, 3) adaptation/governance, and 4) climate/atmospheric studies. Only about 5% of the total studies on climate change are concerned with adaptation, for which three main clusters of research were identified: 1) adaptation actions and policies; 2) urban environment, vulnerability and health and 3) food and coastal impacts. Although there are strong research trends for climate change in the Amazon Forest, there was less evidence of scientific production concerning climate adaptation for this and the other Brazilian biomes, as well as for smaller cities, rural and traditional communities or poorer regions. Our results shed a light on the more commonly chosen research topics, their strongest points and potential gaps and trends, which can contribute to the scientific communication and implementation of climate change and adaptation plans and actions in Brazil and a better understanding of the climate science knowledge from the perspective of a middle-income country.