Identification of coastal natural disasters using official databases to provide support for the coastal management: the case of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Abstract

The increase in natural disaster frequency, intensified by climate change, represents one of the greatest threats to coastal systems and low-lying areas around the world. It is estimated that the Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) could rise by approximately 2 m in the 21st century, in addition to intensifying cyclonic events. As a result, in Brazil, natural coastal disasters are likely to become more frequent and intense, especially in the southern region. Thus, the main goal of this study is to identify, map and discuss coastal natural disasters that occurred in municipalities exposed to the open ocean belonging to the coastal zone of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, between 1998 and 2020. For this, we carried out a review and dating of natural coastal disasters, based on four official databases: The Civil Defense of Santa Catarina website; Integrated Disaster Information System (S2ID); Santa Catarina Atlas of Natural Disasters; and the Brazilian Atlas of Natural Disasters. As results and main conclusions, it was observed that: 1) There were more coastal disasters in the north, central-north, and central sectors of SC between 1998 and 2020; 2) The period between 2010 and 2020 was more impactful; 3) The municipalities with the most records of coastal natural disasters were Balneário Barra do Sul, Itapoá and Florianópolis (considering only Ilha de Santa Catarina), respectively; 4) The three fastest-growing sectors are the north, central-north, and central; and 5) The seasons of autumn, spring, and winter, respectively, are more impacting for the coast of SC.