Port city in Brazil is seeing effects of climate change

Global Business

Rising sea levels are taking a dramatic toll on low-lying islands and cities around the world. Many of these at risk places are already planning for an uncertain future, and Latin America’s largest nation is no exception.

CCTV’s Paulo Cabral reports from the Brazilian port city of Santos.
Follow Paulo Cabral on Twitter @paulonumundo

Despite its seaside location, Santos is not an idyllic tropical resort town.
It’s a big industrial city, and home to the largest port on South America’s Atlantic Coast. Over the last decade, long stretches of sand have disappeared there.
People who live in Santos and the surrounding area say they are already seeing the consequences of climate change.

A recent study by an international pool of universities in conjunction with the Brazilian government’s researchers predicts that sea levels around Santos will rise to between 18 and 23 centimeters by 2050, and by as much as 45 centimeters by 2100.

The researchers see no risk of any part of the city being permanently lost to the sea, but say large areas could be subject to frequent flooding.

Environmental problems are inevitably human problems impacting man’s well-being and survival.
It’s a reality that’s affecting the daily lives of humans around the world more and more. Particularly in poor and fragile areas like Santos, Brazil.

CCTV America