Brazilian municipalities show low climate adaptation transparency

A new assessment by Transparency International - Brazil reveals significant deficiencies in climate adaptation transparency across Brazilian municipalities. The Public Transparency and Governance Index (ITGP) shows an average score of only 33.62 out of 100 regarding the availability of climate adaptation information.

In the Marajó region of Pará, the situation is particularly critical. Out of 17 municipalities, 16 were categorized in the ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ brackets. The region faces high vulnerability to climate change, including rising sea levels, high temperatures, and irregular rainfall patterns. The study notes that municipalities often fail to provide public information regarding risk management, environmental agencies, or contingency plans.

These transparency gaps arrive at a high-risk period, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a ‘Super El Niño’ event. This phenomenon, characterized by abnormal warming of Pacific Ocean waters, is expected to persist until early 2027 and could cause increased rainfall in the South and severe droughts in the North and Northeast of Brazil.