The Federal Constitution of Brazil states that extreme care should be taken for natural resources preservation and use of the Coastal Zone. Field observations show significant problems related to erosion and flooding in many areas. Their impacts, although not economically quantified yet, are evident in the main urban centers. The present study aims to (1) analyze how the natural hazards issue can be incorporated into broader planning contexts of a long-term integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) program for the NE of the State of Pará, and (2) to support, with a scientific and methodological basis, state and municipal governments.

Within a modified Pressure-State-Impact-Response framework, not only the current pressures on the system are considered but also the potential ones as the global and relative sea level rise, and the growing human population and development scenarios for the next 50 to 100 years. The analysis of the regional vulnerability assists in the identification of the most susceptible sectors to the erosion and flood process impacts. For this reason, a Geographical Information System-based Composite Vulnerability Index (CVI) was created combining more than 20 natural and socioeconomic variables.

Adaptation response strategies and measures were described and analyzed according to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change classification: no action, protection, accommodation, and retreat, in order to identify which of them have been recently adopted, the causes of success or failure, and also, to understand whether strategies, measures, people and authorities are prepared to face extreme natural events. Finally, in order to subsidize the ICZM Program of Pará, some recommendations have been proposed to permit implementing new strategies and measures, and modifying and improving those already existent.

The Federal Constitution of Brazil states that extreme care should be taken for natural resources preservation and use of areas considered part of natural heritage as the Coastal Zone. Particularly, the Coastal Zone Management Program of the State of Pará (GERCO-PA) has divided the area in three sectors. The Atlantic Sector, the study area of this work, is located at the NE region of the State and is integrated by 22 municipal districts distributed in 16,000 km2.