By Abbas Nazil
In Barcarena, Pará, Brazil, the Maria Naura Gouvêa Municipal School has become a symbol of community-level climate adaptation, showcasing resilience against floods, erosion, and rising seas.
The school, equipped with flood- and erosion-resistant walls, insulated roofing, solar-powered energy systems, and satellite internet, provides a safe and modern learning environment for students.
A 150-meter well ensures access to clean water, a critical resource in the Amazon region, where many communities struggle with water scarcity and contamination.
UN officials have praised the school as a model of adaptation, with Kamal Kishore, head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, calling it a “guiding light” and expressing hope for similar facilities worldwide.
Barcarena faces recurring droughts, tidal variations, and sea-level rise, which disrupt students’ access to school and threaten local livelihoods by altering fish movements and causing soil salinity.
Containment walls along the riverbanks have mitigated some effects, but officials warn that further expansion and investment are needed to sustain long-term resilience.
For three years, the school has implemented COP30’s central themes of adaptation, including student-led projects that convert cooking oil into soap, produce natural dyes from vegetables, and plant trees to combat heat and environmental degradation.
Barcarena became the world’s 25th Resilience Hub in 2023 and the first in the Amazon, recognized for disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, with a mandate to mentor other municipalities.
COP30 has accelerated local investments, with the municipality targeting 90 percent sewage treatment coverage and potable water access for 95 percent of residents, significantly ahead of original timelines.
UN-Habitat officials stress the importance of scaling these initiatives to other vulnerable communities, emphasizing that local leadership, financing, and political will are key to successful adaptation.
Barcarena’s experience illustrates that climate resilience is achievable when communities, governments, and institutions collaborate, offering a blueprint for other regions facing rising seas, shifting tides, and environmental challenges.