TUC City Profile: Teresina, Brazil

Abstract

Climate injustice is obvious in Teresina. Although the city makes a small contribution to national and global emissions, it is situated in a global warming hotspot. Teresina is already affected by extreme heat, and models anticipate that it will become even hotter and drier in the coming years. The city's high vulnerability to climate change particularly affects Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) groups living in low-income neighbourhoods. Social injustice and racism are tied together in the urban development process of Teresina. Flood-prone areas often overlap with vulnerable neighbourhoods at the fringes of the city, resulting in precarious living conditions. Climate action at the city level must simultaneously favour racial and climate justice to promote transformative changes towards sustainability. Teresina will likely have to absorb climate-induced migration from its surroundings, which may increase the challenges of already overloaded basic services and infrastructure. Urban planning in Teresina must accommodate future projections by combining climate mitigation with adaptation to provide low-carbon and resilient development. Urban climate governance is still emerging in Teresina, which makes this a key moment for transformative action towards sustainability. Entry points for transformation in the city include: promoting vertical and horizontal coordination to implement the climate agenda; increasing climate-related technical knowledge within the municipal government and awareness at the community level; fostering collaboration to generate and disseminate municipal climate data and amplify bottom-up climate initiatives; creating new climate narratives; strengthening citizen participation while recognizing and including vulnerable groups; declaring a climate emergency; and leveraging additional public and private funds for climate action.