Climate Change, Adaptation, and the Metropolis in the Amazon: Potentials and Challenges

Authors

  • Tiago da Silva Jacaúna Universidade Federal do Amazonas
  • Beatriz Campelo Monteiro Universidade Federal do Amazonas
  • Gabriel Guariglia Perez Universidade Estadual de Campinas
  • Gabriela Marques Di Giulio Universidade de São Paulo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14201/reb202512263547

Keywords:

Amazon, climate change adaptation, adaptive capacity, urbanization, Manaus Metropolitan Region, environmental governance

Abstract

Addressing the climate crisis requires robust governance structures and the coordination of policies and actions tailored to different institutional contexts and capacities. In this context, cities play a central role. However, the challenges associated with developing and effectively implementing strategies to address the impacts of climate change at the municipal level stem from the limited institutional capacity of local governments and the existence of institutional barriers. In the Brazilian Amazon, urban areas account for 78.34% of the region’s population, reflecting an urbanization process that intensified during the 1980s. Although Amazonian cities exhibit distinct characteristics and varying levels of complexity, including metropolitan regions, they share inadequate urban infrastructure, which increases their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. This article examines these issues through a case study of the Manaus Metropolitan Region (MMR), which comprises 13 municipalities. Based on an analysis of institutional adaptive capacity and the results obtained through the application of the Urban Adaptation Index (UAI), the study provides an overview of the MMR, highlighting the effects of the absence of public policies and institutional instruments that are essential for advancing climate change adaptation across the region. 

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Author Biographies

  • Tiago da Silva Jacaúna, Universidade Federal do Amazonas

    Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Institute of Philosophy, Human and Social Science sat the Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM, Brazil).

  • Beatriz Campelo Monteiro, Universidade Federal do Amazonas

    Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Institute of Philosophy, Human and Social Science sat the Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM, Brazil).

  • Gabriel Guariglia Perez, Universidade Estadual de Campinas

    Ph.D. candidate in Environment and Society, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp, Brazil).

  • Gabriela Marques Di Giulio, Universidade de São Paulo

    Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Center for Sustainable Amazon Studies (CEAS), Universidade de São Paulo (USP, Brazil).

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Published

2026-10-28

How to Cite

Climate Change, Adaptation, and the Metropolis in the Amazon: Potentials and Challenges. (2026). Revista De Estudios Brasileños, 12(26), 35-47. https://doi.org/10.14201/reb202512263547