, hosted by the Dominican Republic and organized by , explores the region＊s resilience against climate risks, the transition to a low-emission economy and partnerships to solve pressing challenges.
The week is an important stop on the road to in Egypt in November and an opportunity for regional stakeholders to address social inequalities and invest in economic development that is good for humanity and nature.
According to the latest the effects of the climate crisis will deepen in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region due to irreversible impacts exacerbated by the region＊s social and economic conditions, including high levels of poverty, inequality and instability.
In its latest report on the State of Climate in the region, the warned that extreme weather and climate change impacts including mega-drought, extreme rainfall, land and marine heatwaves and glacier melt have led to loss of lives, severe damages to agriculture and infrastructure, and human displacement, from the Amazon to the Andes and from Pacific and Atlantic Ocean waters to the snowy depths of Patagonia.
In his recent visit to , UN Secretary-General Ant車nio Guterres called the Caribbean ＆ground zero＊ for the global climate emergency, noting damages along the coast and interior of the country due to deforestation and climate change. He also saw first-hand the commitment of the Surinamese people to protect their natural treasures and ancestral knowledge.
Despite the challenges, the LAC region is also home to one of the s - the Amazon basin. In fact, region contains of the world＊s remaining primary forests - storing an estimated 104 gigatons of carbon, and hosting up to 50 per cent of the world＊s biodiversity and one third of all plant species.
Let＊s look at what people in the region are doing to mitigate and adapt to the changing climate - from protecting wildlife, restoring corals, planting mangroves, renovating 18th century aqueducts, collecting climate data and launching public awareness campaigns.
Antigua and Barbuda＊s share of global carbon emissions is less than 1 per cent. Yet, climate change is a real threat to Caribbean Islands like Antigua and Barbuda that continue to face sea-level rise, rising temperatures, and more extreme weather events. As Category 4 and 5 hurricanes are projected to become more frequent in the region, the country has put in place numerous policies to transition away from imported fossil fuels - and rely 100 per cent on renewable energy across sectors in the coming two decades.
Between 1970 and 2019, there were 38 incidents of major floods and landslides, 12 severe storms, 13 wildfires and nine instances of heatwaves in Chile, affecting around two million people and resulting in nearly US$5 million in damages. Recent efforts to better understand public spending on climate change-related programmes and investments, has helped to identify gaps, investment priorities, and policies to help Chile better cope with climate change.
Launched by the Colombian Government, the largest coral restoration project on the American continent aims to grow one million fragments of coral and restore 200 hectares of reefs by 2023. In recent years, almost 80 percent of the coral reefs in the Caribbean region have been lost, battered by coastal development, overfishing, climate change and pollution.
Climate scenarios indicate that by 2080 annual precipitation will decline by as much as 65 percent in the northern parts of Costa Rica. If pressures driven by the climate crisis are not addressed, the region will continue to experience a notable lack of water, which will have grave impacts on the economy, the livelihoods of the local communities and productive sectors. Here＊s a story about how a community leader led efforts to restore an old aqueduct to bring clean water to nearly 400 families in the village of Artola.
Mangroves occupy about 5 per cent of Cuba＊s land area and are found on 70 per cent of its coasts. They constitute a valuable forest reserve providing services to the coastline and its communities including as natural barriers against strong winds and waves during storms and rising tides that will become more intense with climate change. Learn how local communities are using ecosystem-based adaptation as the cost-effective way to preserve and restore natural habitats and protect coastal communities.
In June 2022, a new marine reserve in Ecuador was created to secure a biological corridor for endangered species, including sea turtles, manta rays, whales and sharks. The 60,000-square-kilometer reserve forms part of the East Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor that stretches from Ecuador to Costa Rica and will protect marine life from the threats of industrial fishing and climate change.
Along the Dry Corridor - a vast stretch of land in Central America affected by drought linked to the El Ni?o climate phenomenon - farmers in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala are unable to feed their families and communities. But three Salvadoran farmers have turned one of the driest strips of land in their community of Cacaopera, in the mountainous region of Moraz芍n, into a green haven called ※La Casa de Oro§ with some help from hydroponics technology, solar panels and ground pumice stones as substitutes for fertile soil.
In Haiti, soil erosion on hilly farm land due to deforestation over many decades has rendered a lot of agricultural land unproductive and unworkable, but farmers are now producing crops again by advocating for measures to boost the resilience of their land and communities to adverse weather conditions.
Around the world, small-hold farmers, who work more than 80 percent of the world＆s farms, need support to remain resilient in the face of climate change. In Mount Airy in Jamaica, new water harvesting systems with automatic drip technology are making a world of difference, reducing the emerging threat of longer and more intense dry spells.
The Government of Peru launched a public awareness campaign that seeks to recognize the efforts of public and private organizations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Using the climate action mascots, Nono, and his cousin, Gonzo, the campaign reminds organizations that tackling climate change is everyone＊s responsibility.
