Table 1
Federal legal frameworks assigning municipal responsibilities in the built environment.
| POLICY AXIS | FEDERAL LAW | LAW NO. | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Territorial planning, land-use and housing | City statute | 10.257 | 2001 |
| Urban land regularisation | 13.465 | 2017 | |
| Metropolis statute | 13.089 | 2015 | |
| Urban infrastructure and service provision | Urban mobility | 12.587 | 2012 |
| Basic sanitation | 11.445 14.026 | 2007 2020 | |
| Solid waste | 12.305 | 2010 | |
| Environmental regulation | Water resources | 9.433 | 1997 |
| Forest code | 12.651 | 2012 | |
| Climate change | 12.187 | 2009 | |
| Disaster risk and defence | Civil protection and defence | 12.608 | 2012 |
Table 2
Municipal responsibilities in the built environment under Brazil’s federal legal framework, by policy axis.
| POLICY AXIS | MUNICIPAL ROLE PRODUCED BY THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK | ADAPTION RELEVANCE |
|---|---|---|
| Territorial planning, land use and housing | Territorial regulator and land manager: municipalities must control land use, guide urban expansion, regularise precarious settlements through legal, urbanistic and social measures, including essential infrastructure works, and, when necessary, family resettlement, while aligning local planning with metropolitan arrangements | Risk is shaped through land occupation, urban expansion and housing location |
| Urban infrastructure and service provision | Local infrastructure planner and service operator: municipalities must plan, regulate, contract, supervise and deliver mobility, waste services, and occasionally sanitation and drainage | Resilience depends on the continuity and quality of urban services and networks |
| Environmental regulation | Local gatekeeper of environmentally sensitive land: municipalities must adapt urban occupation to basin governance, water protection and ecological restrictions | Adaptation depends on protecting water, riparian land and ecologically sensitive areas |
| Disaster risk and defence | First responder and adaptation integrator: municipalities must map risk, prepare contingency plans, warn populations, organise shelters and incorporate adaptation into local planning | Municipalities become the frontline of early action, emergency response and adaptation integration |
Figure 1
Flood and landslide susceptibility in the GABC Region of Brazil.
Sources: Landslide susceptibility (SGB 2015); flood susceptibility (SGB 2015); and municipal boundaries (IBGE 2010). Basemap: Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) World Shaded Relief (hillshade layer). Cartography: Mariana Urrestarazu de Freitas.
Table 3
Municipal capacity indicator (MCI) scores for the seven municipalities of the Greater ABC (GABC) Region.
| MUNICIPALITY | POPULATION RANGE (N) | MCI SCORE | MCI SCALE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | II | III | TOTAL | |||
| Santo André | > 500,000 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 19 | A |
| Mauá | 100,001–500,000 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 19 | A |
| Ribeirão Pires | 100,001–500,000 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 19 | A |
| São Bernardo do Campo | > 500,000 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 17 | B |
| Rio Grande da Serra | 50,001–100,000 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 16 | B |
| Diadema | 100,001–500,000 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 15 | B |
| São Caetano do Sul | 100,001–500,000 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 16 | C |
[i] Note: MCI score: I, planning and management instruments; II, intersectoral coordination and capacities; III, policies, programmes and actions. MCI scale: A = high; B = upper intermediate; C = lower intermediate; and D = low.
Source: MIDR (2026).