Data gaps in water-related ecosystem services for urban flood risk adaptation in Brazil: a national diagnostic and policy-oriented analysis

Abstract

Urban floods are among Brazil’s most pressing climate-related risks, revealing limitations in conventional drainage systems and fragmented governance structures. This study provides a national diagnostic of how Water-related Ecosystem Services (WES) are addressed in the context of urban flood-risk adaptation in Brazil, based on the integration of three analytical components: a systematic literature review (2017–2025), a diagnostic assessment of national environmental datasets, and a comparative synthesis of city-level initiatives. The review of 94 peer-reviewed studies indicates that Brazilian research remains predominantly focused on watershed-scale management, while international literature increasingly advances operational approaches based on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Blue–Green Infrastructure (BGI). The analysis of environmental datasets reveals recent progress in data availability and spatial coverage, alongside persistent gaps related to interoperability and update frequency. A comparative synthesis of experiences from Curitiba, Recife, and São Paulo highlights that, although NbS initiatives are present and associated with flood-risk reduction efforts, their implementation remains largely pilot-based and weakly institutionalised. Overall, the diagnostic identifies three strategic pathways—data interoperability, institutional coordination, and equity-oriented monitoring—as key elements to strengthen the integration of WES into urban flood-risk adaptation and water resource management in Brazil.

Keywords: blue–green infrastructure, urban flood-risk adaptation, water-related ecosystem services.