The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with Delft University of Technology, creating an historic Dutch-Brazilian research cooperation. According to TU Delft researcher Taneha Kuzniecow Bacchin, never before have experts from science, society and policy in Brazil and the Netherlands worked together on climate resilience with such urgency.

One year ago, in April 2024, TU Delft and the University of São Paulo launched a pioneering research program focused on climate adaptation, spatial quality and civic life in river cities in Brazil and the Netherlands, under the banner of Resilient Delta. Since then, the collaboration has further intensified and now includes a crucial project on urban resilience to climate-related extreme events in highly dynamic and fragile delta environments, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).   

Emergency action

Taneha Kuzniecow Bacchin, Associate Professor of Urban Design at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at TU Delft, is currently in Brazil for the local kick-off of the UNDP project for the islands of the city of Porto Alegre – an archipelago of five islands in the Jacuí Delta, located in the southern State of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul. 

The decision to start the project for the socio-environmental planning of the archipelago of Porto Alegre was taken as an emergency action after the extreme floods that hit the Rio Grande do Sul State in May 2024, among the largest natural disasters of the 21st century. A wide variety of public, private and scientific organizations in the Netherlands and Brazil now cooperate on the project. 

Supporting the reconstruction with science

The project focuses on flood resilience and socio-environmental development in the islands of the City of Porto Alegre—Bacchin’s hometown—and the broader southern Brazil region, where heavy rainfall recently caused the unprecedented disaster. “I grew up in Porto Alegre. It’s an area that experiences recurrent floods, but this time it was extremely severe.” 

Affecting millions of people and leaving hundreds of towns in Rio Grande do Sul under water, the catastrophe added even more urgency to the Brazilian-Dutch research collaboration, which Bacchin coordinates together with the Resilient Delta initiative’s academic lead Zac Taylor and several others. “After the floods, the local government requested us to support the reconstruction process with scientific knowledge. That’s why we included the region of Porto Alegre in the research program—we responded to a societal call.” 

Diplomatic visit

Bacchin’s visit to Porto Alegre for the local launch of the UNDP project comes only a few weeks after a high-level delegation of Brazilian officials traveled to the Netherlands for a diplomatic mission. “The aim of the diplomatic visit was to exchange knowledge between Brazil and the Netherlands on flood resilience and the water-related impacts of climate change,” Bacchin says.  

In an intensive one-week visit, the Brazilian delegation—led by Rio Grande do Sul governor Eduardo Leite and the city of Porto Alegre’s mayor Sebastião Melo—visited the TU Delft campus, government institutions, water-related companies, and important infrastructure projects such as the Delta Works and Room for the River project sites. 

“The diplomatic mission was really a historical step for the knowledge exchange between Brazil and the Netherlands,” Bacchin says. “Recently our two countries have been collaborating on climate adaptation strategies, but it was unique to have such a large group of key politicians and high-level officials together for a prolonged technical visit.” 

Citizen participation

One of the unique aspects of the research collaboration, Bacchin says, is that it involves both policy engagement at high political levels and citizen participation at the community level. “Local communities play a vital role in our research program. Resilience strategies must be inclusive and informed by the needs and knowledge of the people most affected by climate change,” she explains.  

“What’s interesting in this regard is that the government of Porto Alegre historically very much values and fosters the participation of citizens. Through a democratic process called participatory budgeting, citizens have a direct say in how public budget is spent in Porto Alegre.” 

According to Bacchin, a transdisciplinary approach that includes knowledge from academic and non-academic actors is essential on the path towards a more climate-resilient future. “We have sociologists, anthropologists, urban planners, landscape architects and urban designers, hydrologists, engineers and other experts working closely together, alongside citizens and local stakeholders like schools and fishery communities. Combined with the commitment and support of governments and organizations like the UNDP, I believe we have a unique opportunity to reshape highly dynamic landscapes as river cities in Brazil and the Netherlands to become more resilient to the increasing threats of climate change.” 

Different countries, similar challenges

As a Brazilian native working and living in the Netherlands, Bacchin sees many similarities between the countries. “Brazil and the Netherlands have been collaborating on climate adaptation strategies and spatial justice. Although their geographies and the socio-economic, political and cultural conditions are very different, they share similar challenges when it comes to extreme weather events,” she says. 

“As climate risks intensify, cooperation between Brazil and the Netherlands will become even more critical. We aim to expand our joint initiatives, integrate new transdisciplinary research and design and long-term adaptation to climate related extreme events, and strengthen policy frameworks that support climate resilience. The exchange of knowledge and best practices will continue to be a driving force in shaping sustainable and resilient cities for both countries.”