The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released a new report on the state of the climate in 2022, warning that Latin America and the Caribbean are facing a "vicious cycle of spiraling impacts" of accelerated warming and sea-level rise.
The report, which was presented in Havana, Cuba, on July 5, 2023, shows how the region has been affected by extreme weather and climate shocks, many of which were influenced by a long-running La Nina climate event and human-induced climate change.
The report also warns that "the newly arrived El Nino will turn up the heat and bring with it more extreme weather"
Droughts and fires
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One of the main impacts of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean is the increase in droughts and fires, which have severe consequences for water resources, agriculture, energy production, and biodiversity, as per Phys.org.
According to the WMO report, the period from 1991 to 2022 showed an average warming trend of about 0.2 degree Celsius per decade (higher in Mexico and the Caribbean) - the highest rate on record.
This has led to exceptionally high temperatures, low air humidity, and severe drought in many parts of the region.
For example, the Parana-La Plata Basin which includes areas of Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina, experienced the worst drought since 1944.
Low river flows reduced hydropower production, forcing countries to replace hydroelectric energy sources with polluting fossil fuels.
Chile is in the grips of a 14-year-long mega-drought - the most severe in the region in over 1,000 years. Glacier melt has worsened, with near total loss of snowpack in the Andean glaciers in the 2022 summer.
The droughts have also increased the risk of wildfires, which have reached record levels in countries such as Argentina and Paraguay.
The fires, in turn, contributed to planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions reaching their highest levels in 20 years, "locking in even higher temperatures".
Floods and landslides
Another impact of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean is the increase in floods and landslides, which have caused hundreds of fatalities and billions of dollars in losses, as per Daily Tribune.
The WMO report attributes these events to heavy rains triggered by atmospheric phenomena such as tropical cyclones, cold fronts, and convective storms.
For instance, in November 2022, Hurricane Iota hit Central America as a category 5 storm, causing widespread damage and displacement in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Colombia.
It was the second major hurricane to strike the region in two weeks, after Hurricane Eta. In January 2023, a series of cold fronts brought torrential rains to southeastern Brazil, causing floods and landslides that killed more than 50 people and affected more than 30,000.
In March 2023, heavy rains caused by a convective storm system triggered flash floods and mudslides in Peru's northern coast, killing at least 10 people and affecting more than 100,000.
The WMO report calls for urgent action to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean.
It stresses the need to improve early warning systems for severe weather events, which currently cover only about 60 percent of people in the region.
It also urges countries to implement policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance resilience to climate impacts.
The report highlights some examples of good practices in the region, such as Costa Rica's plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Colombia's initiative to restore 8 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, and Cuba's efforts to protect its coral reefs from bleaching.
It also recognizes the role of regional cooperation and integration in addressing common challenges posed by climate change.
The report comes ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) that will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2023.
The conference aims to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
