Scientists have confirmed that Latin America and the Caribbean are the regions most affected by climate disasters

Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the regions of the world most affected by climate disasters and not only by large-scale phenomena, but also by thousands of more limited phenomena which attract less attention, but which have an immense cumulative effect in terms of economic losses and human suffering, according to a study.

These phenomena mainly include localized flooding in urban or rural areas, landslides, relative damage due to rains or strong winds, crops lost due to frost, heat waves and droughts.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2020 report, released today, indicates that sectors that need to adapt as a priority to the problems caused by climate change in the region are those related to water supply and agricultural production.

The average temperature recorded last year in the region was the third highest in Central America and the Caribbean and the second highest in South America, with 1 degree and 0.6 degrees, above the 1981-2010 average. .

The drought has caused several countries to record a sharp reduction in the production of staple foods for their populations, as has happened in northwestern Mexico, where beans recorded their lowest level over the years. last twenty years, while in Guatemala the 80s have been lost. in high areas.

The area of ​​South America most affected by the drought was northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and areas on the western border of Brazil. In the latter country and in Argentina, a decline in maize and soybean production has been reported.

In the transport sector, the drought in the Pantanal region has limited Paraguay’s access to potable water and affected river freight traffic, leading to increased costs for fuel, agricultural supplies, food and drink. other imports. , based on data collected for the report.

In Central America, extreme weather events affected eight million people.

The warming of the ocean in the tropical Atlantic has pushed the South American rains away in 2020, causing drought conditions in the forests and savannas of the Amazon. Experts have established a relationship between this disorder and the increase in forest fires in the sub-region, considered to have caused “irreversible” damage to ecosystems.

“The year 2020 was catastrophic for the Pantanal, where the fire burned an area that exceeded 26% of the region”, adds the text.

Likewise, the rise in temperatures has caused heat waves that in some countries in South America, this has led the thermometer to display over 40 degrees for consecutive days and to break several temperature records.

In some cases it was 10 degrees above normal temperature.

The report also warns against threat of sea level rise in a region where more than 27% of the population lives in coastal areas and 6% to 7% in areas at high or very high risk of being affected by this development.

In the Caribbean, for example, sea level is rising an average of 3.6 millimeters per year, compared to a global average of 3.3 millimeters per year.

In terms of cyclones, 2020 was also a record year, with around thirty of these phenomena detected in the Atlantic count.

(with information from the EFE)

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