Mapping as instrument to support public authorities in risk analysis and promotion of climate justice

Abstract

Urbanization is one of the most powerful anthropogenic causes of Earth change. The report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change claims that human influence on the warming of the soil, ocean and atmosphere is unequivocal. People who are socially, economically, culturally, politically, institutionally or otherwise marginalized are especially vulnerable to climate change and also to adaptation and mitigation responses. Climate injustice refers to the fact that groups in a greater situation of vulnerability present challenges that accumulate as a result of less political power and great social inequality and, therefore, are disproportionately harmed by the impacts of climate change. Thus, this article seeks to address, from indices such as the NDBI, NDVI and census data from the IBGE Census, for the year 2010 and data from the analysis of Climate Risks and Vulnerabilities in Recife, the climate (in)justice in the city of Recife. For this purpose, 3 images from the TM sensor and one from the OLI sensor aboard the Landsat satellites were used. Results show that NDBI values above 0.21 were extended to various areas of the city of Recife over the years, while the NDVI showed a decrease in vegetation cover, indicating greater soil sealing and construction of buildings. These results, in accordance with the mapping of vulnerabilities to climate change, corroborate that a public policy focused on reducing climate injustices is essential, especially when it is concluded that the areas with the greatest social vulnerability are those with the greatest climate vulnerability.