Climate Change adaptation in vulnerable coastal cities and ecosystems of the Uruguay River (Argentina, Uruguay)

The low basin of the Uruguay River plays an important role in providing territorial structure to cities along the river, including some port cities, located along its margins and provides a direct physical link between Argentina and Uruguay. Riparian protected areas of significant importance are located along this river corridor, which is shared by Argentina and Uruguay.

River floods are becoming increasingly frequent and severe due to the effects of climate change, thus causing serious damage to the infrastructure, generating economic losses and affecting the population in both countries. Droughts, floods, cold and heat waves, strong winds, hail, heavy rains and severe storms have been observed. Especially, floods caused by high water levels of the Uruguay River and its tributaries are the phenomena that generate the greatest struggles and have the strongest impacts in the cities along the river corridor. A series of changes that have affected the basin’s hydrological system include increase in average annual rainfall and extreme rainfall, decrease of the soil’s water infiltration and storage capacity, the decrease in the volume stored in the underground layers due to erosion and compaction, as a result of inadequate agricultural practices, afforestation with exotic species and deforestation of the natural forest. Ecosystems are affected by these changes, which endanger the natural supply of natural resources, biodiversity and river dynamics.

The project is aimed at promoting resilience in these communities and ecosystems, and reducing their vulnerability by means of developing instruments, tools and shared experiences for planning and adapting to climate change.

The specific objectives of the project are:

• Reduce vulnerability conditions and contribute to build climate change and variability resilience in vulnerable coastal communities and ecosystems of the lower Uruguay river, including adaptation measures based on communities and ecosystems, while focusing and streamlining human rights, gender and generations perspectives
• Promote institutional strengthening by considering climate change mid and long-term scenarios in land management public policies, plans and programs for the vulnerable cities and ecosystems identified in each country
• Promote an integrated climate risk management in the identified cities and ecosystems for each country, fostering the development and implementation of early warning systems (EWS).
• Reduce the coastal cities’ vulnerability by implementing sustainable infrastructure adapted to the adverse effects of climate change
• Promote climate change adaptation (CCA) in both river´s margins by exchanging urban, environmental, social, educational and cultural experiences and knowledge management.

Project Documents