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In this paper, three case studies are analyzed in Uruguay at the basin level, to identify the factors that favor the flood phenomenon. Transformations in land use and eventually climate change are considered. Over a 30-year period, land use modifications were evaluated using a Geographic Information System, and the variability of rainfall and river levels was analyzed. The three basins show completely different behavior from their land use change, and show increasing trends in rainfall over the period analyzed. It is evident that land use change is one of the most influential factors in the increase of flooding in urban areas. These transformations are mostly related to the exploitation of soil for the generation of commodities for export and generate modifications in the agrarian territories in Uruguay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latin America shows an accelerated urbanization process and a development model that generate and intensify social and environmental problems. Added to these problems are the risks triggered by climate change that affect today's cities. In Argentina, its effects are manifested differentially over the regions, impacting cities and human settlements. In this scenario, this paper proposes to explore the environmental risk faced by Argentinean cities in a context of climate change from two dimensions: threat and resilience. For this, two synthetic indices were built using the Mean Index Coefficient methodology for each dimension and subsequently the results were articulated by defining risk categories. Results were spatially represented using a Geographic Information System. Gran Posadas, Corrientes, and Salta reach the most unfavorable situations following by Gran La Plata, Gran Mendoza, Gran San Juan, Gran Tucumán-Tafí Viejo, and the Buenos Aires counties. The importance of focusing on adaptation measures under the concept of urban resilience is highlighted. New questions arise from this work and invite further research whose results will allow progress towards sustainability and urban resilience by including them in local policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green infrastructure is being recognized as one of the main strategies for climate emergency mitigation and adaptation in urban contexts. However, there are still very few initiatives in Latin America. This paper explores the Chilean case, in particular the "Stgo+ Green Infrastructure" project, to understand how the climate emergency has been included in green infrastructure planning and the level of priority it has among various types of stakeholders. The research was conducted through a review of planning documents and a participatory methodology, involving institutional, academic, and civil society stakeholders. Chilean urban regulations and territorial planning instruments do not offer much opportunity for the development of green infrastructure systems to face the climate emergency, but there are several indicative instruments that contribute in that sense. On the other hand, there is growing recognition by stakeholders of the importance of green infrastructure, but the climate emergency is an aspect that is still given low priority. The low priority that actors attribute to the climate emergency represents a significant barrier for the incorporation of these issues in public plans and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows the translations and variations of the smart city model in Latin American cities. The smart city has emerged as a new urban model based on the use of technologies to respond to the varied and complex challenges facing contemporary cities, ranging from security to climate change. Based on the policy mobility approach, the network of actors committed to the diffusion of this urban model is identified and the inclusion of the smart city's narratives and projects in the debates and agendas of the planning and governance of the Latin American cities. The results reveal the prescriptive character of the model, its standardization, and the conformation of an "elite epistemic community" that has been decisive in the narrative and material production of the smart city in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]