2018 Reports

Environmental Impacts in São Paulo City, Brazil

Assad, Eduardo Delgado; Young, Andrea

São Paulo faces heightened environmental risks from climate change, including flooding, landslides, and water scarcity, exacerbated by rapid urban expansion, deforestation, and inadequate drainage systems. By 2030, urban sprawl is projected to increase areas at flood risk by 46% and landslide-prone zones nearly threefold, highlighting the urgent need for integrated water and land management. Key adaptation measures include improving governance, modernizing water infrastructure, reducing water losses, promoting rational water use, and restoring vegetation along river basins to protect water sources and biodiversity. Long-term strategies also involve constructing inter-basin water transfers, drilling wells in the Guarani Aquifer, and revegetating extensive areas to enhance resilience of the Cantareira Water System.