Social–Environmental Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity of SPMM’s Small Cities in the Face of Climate Emergency

The text aims to cover the social–environmental vulnerability and adaptive capacity of 31 small cities located in the São Paulo Macrometropolis (SPMM) in the face of climate emergency. To this end, the most significant indicators in terms of vulnerability are analyzed considering extremely urgent actions to adaptation that could occur at the local level and the barriers imposed to those localities related to the necessary adaptation. Given this goal, this chapter draws upon a multivariate analysis methodology that firstly relies on recent literature on the subject and then it works with variables that favor the creation of indicators. Combining indicators in order to build indexes improves the comprehension of vulnerabilities considered in three cumulative and overlapped dimensions (environmental, social, and institutional) and the identification of higher and lower levels of vulnerability intervention priorities considering adaptation. The present barriers to adaptation actions achievement in public accountability are also evaluated. The text ends with an analysis of the remaining challenges to reduce vulnerability in SPMM’s small cities covered in this study.