Posted in: 06/05/2023
The relationship between extreme weather events and the rains that hit the north coast of São Paulo is the subject of an article written by Ricardo Young , director of Synergia Socioambiental.
In the text, Ricardo analyzes the events of February 2023 , when floods, the collapse of barriers and landslides – caused by heavy rains – caused dozens of deaths and left hundreds of people homeless on the north coast of São Paulo. In several cities, a state of public calamity was declared .
The period of the year is known as the rainy season. However, the cities received a greater volume of rain than usual , with accumulations that reached more than 600 millimeters in 24 hours in some of the regions.
Specialists from the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) pointed out as the main factors the low pressure on the coast, the cold front coming from the sea, the warm winds coming from the Northeast and clouds with a lot of water that, when they meet the mountain ranges of the Serra do Mar, they went up and concentrated on the coast.
For Ricardo Young, the tragedy on the north coast reminds us of the importance of having a new look at extreme weather events , which have become increasingly frequent, both due to human actions and the lack of them.
Young points out that the climate crisis wreaks havoc, yet few ecosystem solutions have actually been implemented to increase nature’s resilience to the changes caused by climate change. For the socio-environmentalist, the best alternative would be to bet on regeneration , and not just on the mitigation of human impacts.
The use of solutions based on nature – as they adjust to the extent of climate change and allow greater absorption of impacts, in addition to being less vulnerable to systemic destruction – would be the most viable alternative and would bring the highest level of sustainability .
Check out the full article, published in the following vehicles:
Sign up and receive our news.