Integrating Blue Carbon in Brazil’s Climate Strategy: Policy, Governance, and Financing Challenges within the Ocean-Climate Nexus

Blue carbon ecosystems—such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses—play a critical role in the ocean-climate nexus by sequestering large amounts of carbon, enhancing coastal resilience, and supporting biodiversity. However, these ecosystems face significant threats from climate change impacts and human activities, which can disrupt their carbon sequestration capacity and resilience. This study examines Brazil’s blue carbon strategies within the framework of climate adaptation and the ocean-climate nexus, focusing on gaps in policy integration, governance, and financing.

Brazil, while advancing its climate adaptation agenda with initiatives like the National Adaptation Plan (PNA), faces challenges in aligning blue carbon policies with broader climate goals, including adaptation and Loss and Damage frameworks outlined by the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM). Recent research underscores the importance of blue carbon in mitigating losses and damages, especially for vulnerable coastal communities (Polejack et al., 2021). Nonetheless, the current WIM mechanism and related climate financing tools do not fully encompass blue carbon considerations, limiting Brazil’s capacity to harness international support for these critical ecosystems​.

Governance challenges also hinder Brazil’s blue carbon potential. Effective management requires integrating multi-level governance, with the involvement of local and regional entities to address specific vulnerabilities and socio-economic dynamics of coastal regions. However, only a small proportion of Brazilian municipalities have sufficient risk management capabilities, a significant barrier to blue carbon preservation (Melo, 2021). Strengthening local governance and increasing public awareness on climate risks are essential steps to enhance adaptive capacity and secure ecosystem services provided by blue carbon habitats.

The paper further highlights the potential of international partnerships and climate funds to support blue carbon initiatives through tailored funding mechanisms. Recommendations include developing sectoral frameworks for blue carbon, strengthening Brazil’s governance structure for integrated climate and marine policies, and expanding public-private partnerships to support blue carbon resilience efforts.

This analysis underscores that while blue carbon holds significant promise within Brazil’s climate agenda, robust policy integration, targeted financing, and capacity-building initiatives are critical for maximizing its benefits. By advancing blue carbon strategies, Brazil can position itself as a leader in ocean-climate adaptation, leveraging blue carbon ecosystems to foster both national resilience and global climate stability.