LAC: Urban Resilience
In Latin America we work together with municipalities, water councils, water authorities, ministries of housing and environment to reduce the flood risks of cities. Due to climate change and urbanisation the coastal, river and pluvial risks are increasing. Together with the local and regional authorities and stakeholders we analyse the water system and propose solutions to increase the resilience of Latin American cities.
Deltares supports cities manage water-related risks such as flooding, droughts, and sea-level rise. We contribute to improving the understanding of the way the water system functions and the causes of risk, building on data and integrating applied scientific research. We develop studies and plans with all stakeholders to keep the risks manageable now and in the future.
This also includes the identification and prioritisation of climate adaptation strategies. In this process, we utilise innovative engagement methods to promote the empowerment of communities to build safer, more sustainable urban environments in the face of climate.
Examples of our work
Development of a comprehensive Master Plan for the Calzada de la República pedestrian and cycle lane and recovery of its public areas. Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico
Calzada de La República is one of the main avenues of Oaxaca, built on top of the historic Jalatlaco River after it was channeled. The area demarcated by this avenue faces several urban challenges, most notably floods. This project, led by the design studio BD+P with technical support by Deltares, had the goal to redesign this avenue to improve urban resilience.
This was done by proposing different interventions, including Nature-based Solutions and mobility measures, that would improve urban water management as well as the urban environment. Deltares supported this project during the design phase, by modelling different interventions using the CRCTool to understand how they could improve urban water management in an iterative process. The final design was used by BD+P to pilot one of the measures in a subsequent phase.
Contact person: Begoña Arellano Jaimerena.
BIOCITIS: Capacity building and generation of methodologies for planning, design, and implementation of green infrastructure (Mexico)
The GIZ-led BIOCITIS Program is at the forefront of an effort to operationalise ecosystem services and biodiversity as drivers of sustainable development of urban coastal regions in Mexico.
The main objective of this project, part of the BIOCITIS program, was to design and implement workshops. The workshops focused on:
- Capacity building for green infrastructure planning;
- Design and implementation by multi-sectoral and multi-level actors in the selected regions;
- Identify emergent opportunities to embed green infrastructure in future developments in coastal regions of Mexico.
The regions of Tabasco and Campeche were chosen to conduct this study and implement the workshops.
Contact persons. Begoña Arellano Jaimerena and Ana Nuñez.
A water sensitive strategy for the Sweet City of Curridabat, Costa Rica
Deltares supported Curridabat in developing a master plan for future water management in order to strengthen natural resources while improving the quality of life of citizens. A hydrological wflow model and hydrodynamic D-FlowFM model were constructed to locate areas in Curridabat with high probability of flooding and to identify locations with flow obstructions (bottlenecks).
Contact person: Hans Gehrels and Begoña Arellano Jaimerena.
A water resilience plan for the UNESCO Heritage Zone of Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico
In this project a Water Resilience Plan was developed, as part of Mexico City’s Resilience Strategy, with a vision and strategic actions to protect and restore the Heritage Zone’s hydrological system, by addressing climate change, geological (subsidence and seismic) risks, and socio-economic and environmental challenges.
Contact person: Hans Gehrels.
UP2030 - Flood risk and adaptation a training, Brazil
Deltares provided a training workshop for Rio de Janeiro's technical staff from Rio-Águas and the Operational Control Centre in 2025. The workshop focused on hydraulic flood modelling and adaptive strategies for urban flood resilience in Rio de Janeiro.
In specific, the training focused on the challenges on flood risk and adaptation in Rio’s Acari River basin, a densely populated and flood-prone area, that experienced significant flooding, including a major event in January 2024 that affected 78,000 people.
By combining local datasets with public global data, we demonstrated how the new tools can contribute to more informed and effective flood risk management, ultimately supporting climate resilient development.
Contact person: Hans Gehrels.
