Trends in extreme rainfall and hydrogeometeorological disasters in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo: a review

Our paper reviews recent progress in the study and understanding of observed trends in extreme rainfall events in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP). These are discussed in relation to hydrometeorological hazards that trigger natural disasters, such as flash floods, landslides, and droughts,...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2020-07, Vol.1472 (1), p.5-20
Hauptverfasser: Marengo, Jose A., Alves, Lincoln M., Ambrizzi, Tercio, Young, Andrea, Barreto, Naurinete J. C., Ramos, Andrea M.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:Volltext
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Our paper reviews recent progress in the study and understanding of observed trends in extreme rainfall events in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP). These are discussed in relation to hydrometeorological hazards that trigger natural disasters, such as flash floods, landslides, and droughts, that affect the population and local economies. A review of the most updated literature on rainfall and extremes in the MASP shows a significant increase in the total volume of rainy‐season rainfall during the last seven decades. While there were practically no days with heavy rain (more than 50 mm) in the 1950s, these days have been occurring two to five times a year in the last 10 years. This, together with the inappropriate occupation of risky areas, such as slopes and banks of watercourses, leads to inundation, flooding, and landslides. Changes in extremes can be partly due to natural climate variability but can also be related to global warming and/or urbanization. There is ample evidence of an increasing risk of rainfall‐related hazards in the MASP. This is particularly so for landslides in vulnerable areas. Exposure will continue to lead to risk increases. This calls for significant improvement in climate and disaster risk reduction and management efforts in the MASP region. Our review discusses the nexus between extremes of rainfall and climate‐related natural disasters in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP). Our objectives are to (1) provide the most updated review of observed precipitation extreme trends in the MASP region, (2) review current knowledge on possible impacts of trends toward increases in extremes of rainfall on the frequency of natural disasters, (3) inform about future changes in the number and severity of weather and climate‐related disasters in the next decades, and (4) discuss how vulnerability to climate‐related disasters has evolved over time and how this information is needed for impact studies and to define policies cities can adapt to cope with climate variability and change.
ISSN:0077-8923
1749-6632
DOI:10.1111/nyas.14307