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Sonia Ferreira’s coastal home, featuring a pool and garden, has succumbed to the relentless encroachment of the Atlantic Ocean, a phenomenon exacerbated by climate change. During a recent visit, the 80-year-old retiree surveyed the debris left from her house, which was demolished by powerful waves in 2022 in Atafona, located north of Rio de Janeiro.
“I’ve stayed away because it brings back so many memories. It’s incredibly sad,” she expressed, sharing images of the home she constructed 45 years ago from her cellphone.
The combined effects of global warming and the silting of the Paraiba River have significantly contributed to the erosion of Atafona’s coastline, resulting in the destruction of around 500 homes, which includes the collapse of a nearby four-story building.
This situation is reflected in numerous coastal communities across Brazil’s extensive 8,500-kilometer Atlantic coastline, which are grappling with similar struggles against rising sea levels.
According to the United Nations report “Surging Seas in a Warming World,” the sea level in the Atafona area has risen by 13 centimeters over the past 30 years and could increase by an additional 16 centimeters by 2050.
Advancing Seawater Threatens Coastal Areas
Marine geographer Eduardo Bulhoes from Fluminense Federal University predicts that coastal regions like Atafona could see the ocean push inland by as much as 150 meters within the next 28 years. He noted that the ongoing combination of climate change and a river that no longer deposits sand onto Atafona’s beaches has led to disastrous consequences for its residents, with little chance of reversal.
Though alarming, Atafona’s conditions are not an isolated case in Brazil. In Ponta Negra, a renowned beach resort on the northeastern coast, approximately 15 meters of sandy shoreline has been lost to the ocean over the last two decades. In response, local authorities are undertaking costly measures to transport sand from other locations to replenish the beach.
Additionally, at the mouth of the Amazon River, an already delicate ecosystem faces significant threats. The region is experiencing unprecedented drought, which has weakened the river’s flow and allowed saltwater to advance upstream, jeopardizing biodiversity. Oceanographer Ronaldo Christofoletti from the Federal University of Sao Paulo expressed concern, stating, “Salt water is moving further up the river, which will impact the entire ecological balance in that area.”
Last year, saltwater reached as far as Macapa, a city located 150 kilometers from the Amazon’s mouth, leading to the deaths of freshwater fish and adversely affecting local fishing industries.
The Accelerating Crisis of Sea Level Rise
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reported that sea levels are rising at an alarming rate, with the speed doubling over the past decade to approximately 0.48 centimeters per year, compared to 0.21 centimeters annually from 1993 to 2002.
Christofoletti raised concerns over the inevitability of land loss in coastal towns, questioning the adequacy of urban planning in adapting to these changes. “It’s disturbing to witness the destruction of homes in Atafona,” he remarked. “However, building houses in that area was never a safe decision. These regions should be preserved with natural buffers like forests, mangroves, or sandbanks to mitigate the sea’s advance.”
Source
www.cbc.ca