This book showcases experiences from research, field projects and best practice in climate change adaptation in countries in the Latin American region, focusing on managing vulnerability and fostering resilience. It includes a selection of papers presented at a specialist symposium on climate change adaptation held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in November 2016.Consistent with the need for more cross-sectoral interaction among the various stakeholders working in the field of climate change adaptation in Latin America, the book documents and disseminates the wealth of experiences in the region. It is divided into two main parts: Part 1 addresses the current and future impacts of climate change on fauna, flora and landscapes, while Part 2 is concerned with the socio-economic aspects of climate change adaptation, analyzing some of the main problems prevailing in this vulnerable region and examining ways to address them.
This book addresses the social implications of climate change and climatic variability on indigenous peoples and communities living in the highlands, lowlands, and coastal areas of Latin America and the Caribbean. Across the region, indigenous people already perceive and experience negative effects of climate change and variability. Many indigenous communities find it difficult to adapt in a culturally sustainable manner. In fact, indigenous peoples often blame themselves for the changes they observe in nature, despite their limited emission of green house gasses. Not only is the viability of their livelihoods threatened, resulting in food insecurity and poor health, but also their cultural integrity is being challenged, eroding the confidence in solutions provided by traditional institutions and authorities. The book is based on field research among indigenous communities in three major eco-geographical regions: the Amazon; the Andes and Sub-Andes; and the Caribbean and Mesoamerica. It finds major inter-regional differences in the impacts observed between areas prone to rapid- and slow-onset natural hazards. In Mesoamerican and the Caribbean, increasingly severe storms and hurricanes damage infrastructure and property, and even cause loss of land, reducing access to livelihood resources. In the Columbian Amazon, changes in precipitation and seasonality have direct immediate effects on livelihoods and health, as crops often fail and the reproduction of fish stock is threatened by changes in the river ebb and flow. In the Andean region, water scarcity for crops and livestock, erosion of ecosystems and changes in biodiversity threatens food security, both within indigenous villages and among populations who depend on indigenous agriculture, causing widespread migration to already crowded urban areas. The study aims to increase understanding on the complexity of how indigenous communities are impacted by climate change and the options for improving their resilience and adaptability to these phenomena. The goal is to improve indigenous peoples rights and opportunities in climate change adaptation, and guide efforts to design effective and sustainable adaptation initiatives.
This collected volume deals with emerging issues related to climate variation, climate change and adaptation technologies, with a special focus on Latin American countries. Presenting a variety of adaptation strategies and projects currently being undertaken and implemented, the book showcases how Latin American nations are struggling to meet the challenges of climate change. Latin America as a whole and Central America in particular is one of the most vulnerable regions of the world and is severely affected by recurrent extreme climate-related events. This volume documents and analyzes the main challenges and lessons learned, serving to disseminate knowledge beyond the region and enhance international research and policy cooperation.
This book addresses the complexity of urbanization, impacts of climate change and climate change adaptation for the metropolitan region of Santiago de Chile, with a special focus on the most pressing issues of natural hazards, water and energy supply. The book exemplifies a conceptual approach for the development of adaptation measures, their evaluation and implementation in a decision support framework at the science-policy interface. It builds on scientific analyses of social and natural scientists, a participatory process with local authorities and a mutual learning network between large agglomerations in Latin America. The book is written for scholars of urban management, climate change, planning, governance and hazard research, as well as practitioners in local, regional and international organizations concerned with climate change, climate change impacts, and adaptation in metropolitan regions. While the regional focus is on Latin America the concepts and lessons learned are applicable and relevant to megacities around the world.
Governments and civil society in Latin America and the Caribbean should be well informed about the potential costs and benefits of combating climate change, their policy options over the next decades, and the global context for these policy decisions. At the same time, the global community needs to be better informed about the unique perspective of the Latin American and Caribbean region: problems the region will face, its potential contributions toward combating global warming, and how to maximize this potential while continuing to maintain growth and reduce poverty. This book, a companion volume to Low Carbon, High Growth: Latin American Responses to Climate Change, seeks to help fill both these needs.
There is an increasing consensus in the scientific community that climate change is a real and present threat. Despite the large uncertainty on the timing, magnitude and even the direction of some of the physical and economic effects of this phenomenon, it is widely accepted that the differences are regional and that developing countries as well as lower income populations tend to suffer the most. In this context, it is critical for Latin American countries to develop strategies for adapting to the various impacts of climate change, and for contributing to global efforts aimed at mitigation. Climate Change in Latin America contributes to these efforts by addressing a number of questions related to the causes and consequences of climate change in the case of Latin America. What are the likely impacts of climate change in the region? Which countries and regions will be most affected? What can governments do to tackle the challenges associated with adapting to climate change? What role can Latin America play in the area of climate change mitigation? While the book does not attempt to provide definitive answers to these questions, it contributs new information and analysis that could help to inform the public policy debate on this important issue.
Climate change policy has typically emphasized mitigation, calling for reducing emissions and shifting away from fossil fuels. Yet while these efforts have floundered, floods, wildfires, droughts, and other disasters are becoming more frequent and potent. As the risks escalate, we must ask how to adapt to a changing climate. How might farmers modify their practices to maximize food security? Can coastal cities protect their infrastructure from rising seas? Are there strategic ways for developing countries to combine climate resilience with economic growth and poverty reduction? For people and societies around the world, these questions are not theoretical: adaptation is already underway. This book offers a concise overview of climate adaptation governance. In clear, accessible language, Lisa Dale describes key strategies that governments, communities, and the private sector are now deploying. She presents the theory and practice that underlie climate adaptation efforts at local and global scales, providing illuminating case studies that foreground the problems facing developing countries. Dale analyzes the effectiveness of a range of policy interventions, drawing out principles of good governance and discussing how practitioners can navigate complex tradeoffs. She emphasizes equity and inclusion, considering how climate adaptation policy can account for the needs of historically disadvantaged groups. Written for a wide audience, this book is an invaluable introduction for all readers interested in how societies can meet the challenges of an altered climate.
Abstract: The authors explore how Latin American farmers adapt to climate by changing crops. They develop a multinomial choice model of farmer's choice of crops. Estimating the model across over 2,000 farmers in seven countries, they find that both temperature and precipitation affects the crops that Latin American farmers choose. Farmers choose fruits and vegetables in warmer locations and wheat and potatoes in cooler locations. Farms in wetter locations are more likely to grow rice, fruits, and squash, and in dryer locations maize and potatoes. Global warming will cause Latin American farmers to switch away from wheat and potatoes toward fruits and vegetables. Predictions of the impact of climate change must reflect not only changes in yields or net revenues per crop but also crop switching.
Latin America and the Caribbean face multiple risks from a changing climate, from sea level rise to glacial melt to extreme weather and disease. Recent population trends, particularly population growth and urbanization, will continue to be an important factor in influencing the region's vulnerability and adaptive capacity. This policy brief shares highlights, key findings and lessons from a series of seminars on climate change adaptation organized by the Wilson Center and U.S. Agency for International Development missions across Latin America and the Caribbean. Adaptive capacity in the region is growing, and the process of consultation drew attention to projects that demonstrate innovative approaches in participatory planning, private sector engagement, payment for ecosystem services, urban planning, and mainstreaming climate change into broader development objectives. As the impacts of climate change become more severe, however, the need for effective climate change adaptation action and resources will grow. Creating shared learning networks through convening climate change practitioners and policymakers will be an important part of the strengthening the region's capacity to adapt.
