Abstract
The flood that occurred on March 7, 2025 in Bahía Blanca was an extreme hydrometeorological event that critically exposed structural fragilities in the urban–rural system and highlighted the need to rethink climate adaptation strategies in intermediate cities. The extraordinary rainfall, which reached 210 mm in a few hours, combined with intense runoff from the Napostá and Saladillo catchments, exceeded existing drainage capacity, affected key infrastructure and caused severe human and material losses. This revealed failures in territorial planning, occupation of the floodplain and the lack of resilience criteria in urban regulations and works. This paper proposes an integrated analysis of the event from the perspective of urban climate resilience, articulating hydrological, territorial and institutional dimensions based on the contributions of the 3rd Environmental Forum (5-6th June 2025) and on the frame of the project “Urban climate resilience: challenges and responses of urban infrastructure in intermediate cities”. It argues that responding to climate change requires strengthening territorial governance, updating urban planning codes, revising critical infrastructure and promoting mechanisms of anticipation, early warning and community participation as central components of resilience. Through the case of Bahía Blanca, the paper proposes a conceptual-operational framework applicable to intermediate cities facing increasingly complex risks, in order to guide public policies, urban interventions and post-disaster reconstruction processes towards safer, more adaptive and sustainable territories.
Presenters
Mariana GonzálezDocente Investigador, Grupo de Estudio de Ingenieria Ambiental, Universidad Technologica Nacional - Facultad Regional Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Technical, Political, and Social Responses
KEYWORDS
Climate Resilience, Urban Flooding, Climate Change Adaptation, Urban Infrastructure
