Beaches in Rio May Disappear: Study Points to Rising Sea Levels in Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho Published on 28/09/2025 at 21:34

Imagem representativa: Wikimedea Commons

UFRJ Study Reveals That Sea Could Advance Up to 100 Meters Over Iconic Beaches in Rio de Janeiro, Threatening Tourism and Mangroves

The beaches of Rio, including Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon, are among the most visited destinations in Brazil and attract tourists year-round. These stretches of sand boost tourism, the local economy, and help build the international image of Rio de Janeiro.

A recent study from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) has raised the alarm: much of these shorelines could disappear by the end of the century.

The projection indicates a concerning scenario for the city’s famous postcards.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Sea Advance Threatens the Carioca Shore

The research indicates that the sea level in Guanabara Bay could rise, on average, by 78 centimeters by 2100. This increase would be sufficient to drastically reduce the beach’s sandy area.

In Copacabana, the loss could reach 100 meters. Meanwhile, Ipanema and Leblon are at risk of shrinking by approximately 80 meters each.

These figures coincide with projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which predicts a global increase of between 28 and 98 centimeters.

Impacts Beyond Tourism

The problem is not limited to leisure and tourism. Mangrove areas also face risks. The Guapimirim Environmental Preservation Area, created to protect the last mangroves of Guanabara Bay, could be partially submerged.

According to experts, the situation may be even more serious than the calculations suggest since ocean warming has already outpaced historical averages.

Global Problem and Local Response

The phenomenon is not limited to Brazil. Regions such as Miami, Barcelona, and the Gold Coast in Australia are already suffering from beach reduction, in some cases losing up to 4.5 meters of sand per year.

The government of Rio claims to monitor climate effects and seeks adaptation strategies. Nonetheless, the UFRJ study makes it clear: without urgent actions, the beaches that today symbolize Rio may not exist for future generations.

With information from TNH1.

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Beaches in Rio May Disappear: Study Points to Rising Sea Levels in Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon

UFRJ Study Reveals That Sea Could Advance Up to 100 Meters Over Iconic Beaches in Rio de Janeiro, Threatening Tourism and Mangroves

Sea Advance Threatens the Carioca Shore

Impacts Beyond Tourism

Global Problem and Local Response

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Beaches in Rio May Disappear: Study Points to Rising Sea Levels in Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon

UFRJ Study Reveals That Sea Could Advance Up to 100 Meters Over Iconic Beaches in Rio de Janeiro, Threatening Tourism and Mangroves

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Impacts Beyond Tourism

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In the cold desert of Ladakh, where it hardly rains, engineer Sonam Wangchuk created the ice stupa, a tower that freezes winter water and stores it for irrigating crops in the spring, a simple engineering feat that mimics nature.

Almost 6,000 residents live concentrated along a single street nearly 9 km long in the interior of Poland. Houses form a continuous row, and behind them, narrow agricultural strips emerge, creating one of the most unusual rural patterns in Europe.

Júlia Pimentel, an 11-year-old from Minas Gerais, independently invented a new formula to calculate the square root using simple addition and multiplication, and her method was published in one of the most important mathematical scientific journals in Brazil.

They planted a sea of eucalyptus to produce cellulose, but the monoculture turned into a green desert, dried up springs and rivers, and pushed families out of regions in Minas Gerais and Bahia.

Chinese woman planted trees for decades while sand buried part of her house, received $5,000 from an American in 1999, and helped transform the desert into a forest of 8 million trees in China.

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