Overview and perspectives for research on climate change, cities and governance, and the focus on Latin America

Abstract

Climate change increases the likelihood of extreme events and puts several areas of the planet at risk, potentially compromising the environment as a whole, including the lives and future of new generations. The issue has gained the attention of the international community, space in declarations and treaties, and consequences at subnational levels. The development of cities and their expansion are indicated among the multiple causalities that contribute to the intensification of climate change and its consequences. The dimension of the effects of climate change related to urbanization processes demand actions from broad social segments, both in preventive, mitigating and adaptation measures, with special attention to the vulnerability of populations. In this scenario, it is important to recognize the connections between physical-environmental processes and social processes. With the aim of contributing with methodological procedures that allow an integrated view of the phenomenon, this bibliometric and bibliographic study on climate change, cities and governance, taking Latin America as a reference, identifies the scope of studies on climate change, cities and governance, seeking to relate them to technical, social, economic, political and environmental factors. Using bibliometric analysis and bibliographic research procedures, the study identifies research related to governance, adaptation and resilience within the scope of climate change studies, presenting its growth profile. Also as an aid in overcoming the circumscription of the analysis of phenomena involving climate change, imposed by the transdisciplinarity of knowledge, the analysis allows us to recognize the interfaces and integration of different sectors and recipients of scientific research on climate change in the context of cities and their governance, helping to understand limitations and opportunities. The results indicate the criticality of the subject and opportunities to expand transnational collaboration, both in research and in the development and implementation of public policies.