Of the 1003 projects falling under the framework of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) which have been implemented in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean, the majority of the projects are related to renewable energy sources and reduction of methane (87% of the total). Only 1% of the CDM projects are related to transportation, 2% to forestation and reforestation, and 2% to fuel substitution. Consequently, there is a clear need for more ex...

Examining CO2 emissions in 2005, excluding those associated with land use changes, it can be seen that the Latin American and Caribbean region has a higher level of emissions per US$ million of GDP (598 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per US$ 1 million) than the OECD countries (468 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per US$ 1 million), but less than the world average (652 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per US$ 1 million).

The disaggregation of emissions by type of gas makes clear the domination of carbon dioxide (CO2), both globally and at the regional level. On a country basis, the five top emitters in the world are China and the United States, followed by Russia and Japan. The fifth top emitter is Brazil, when greenhouse gas emission associated with land use change is taken into account.

Changes in sea levels resulting exclusively from changes in ocean density and circulation patterns, results of atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCM) for climate change scenario A1B (this scenario assumes future rapid demographic and economic growth, introduction of new and more efficient technologies, accompanied by a balanced use of all types of energy sources) show that there will be significant spatial variability, i.e., changes ...

According to reports from the region’s countries, contained in national communications to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions relate to changes in land use, forestry, agriculture and energy consumption. Brazil stands out as the highest emitter of greenhouse gasses caused by land use changes, accounting for more than 800,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. The importance of agricul...

It is expected that by 2050 there will be threats to ecosystem services in the Andes and Mexico, in the Central American and Caribbean sub-regions, and in southeastern Brazil, while there will be negative effects on fishing in the Pacific coastal areas of Peru and Chile. The decrease in precipitation will have adverse effects on agricultural yields in several regions and countries throughout the continent. Particularly noteworthy within Latin Ame...

By comparing the emissions:energy ratio (carbon intensity) between regions, one finds different patterns over time. Thus, between 1980 and 1995, decarbonization in Latin America and the Caribbean was in line with the world average; in the first half of the 1980s, the region progressed even faster than the OECD countries. Later, between 1995 and 2003, the emissions-to-energy consumption ratio increased.

The retreat of glaciers is a clear indication of how climate change is affecting the Latin American region. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador show evidence of reductions in the size of their glaciers. In Peru and the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the shrinkage of their glaciers, compared to 1970 and 1975, is even more striking. Since 1970 there has been a substantial reduction in the surface area of the smaller glacier...

Evidence at international level shows a positive, although not a linear, relation between GHG emissions and the trajectory of the gross domestic product (GDP). There is a strong heterogeneity in the ratio of emissions to GDP (excluding land use change) among the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, with Guyana and Bolivia standing as those countries with the highest levels of emissions per US$ 1 million of GDP produced.

Estimates of the marginal costs of emissions reduction for Central America show that decarbonization options should be directed towards energy efficiency in the residential and services sectors, mainly arising from savings due to reduced energy consumption. Similarly, the mitigation strategy should be focused towards reducing deforestation and degradation, with additional benefits for biodiversity and water supply. Sectors like transportation and...

The retreat of glaciers is a clear indication of climate change in Latin America. Since the mid-1990s, the Chacaltaya glacier in the Plurinational State of Bolivia has lost half of its surface area and two thirds of its volume, endangering the long-term sustainability of the glacier (Francou et. al. 2003).

At present, 1003 projects falling under the framework of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has been implemented throughout the Latin American and Caribbean region. The countries in the region with the greatest number of CDM projects are Brazil (with 42% of the total), Mexico (with 20%), Chile (with 8%) and Colombia (with 7%).

Latin America and the Caribbean has seen a recent increase in extreme climatic events, and with it a rise in the number of people affected. The number of storms between 2000 and 2009 increased by 12 compared to the period between 1970 and 1979. In this same time period, floods quadrupled. The number of people affected by extreme temperatures, forest fires, droughts, storms and floods grew from 5 million in the 1970s to more than 40 million in the...

The extent to which mortality is attributable to climate change remains a matter of intense debate. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) for 2000 indicate that, in Latin America and the Caribbean, there were between 2 and 40 deaths per million inhabitants from floods, malaria and diarrhoea. In terms of regions, the most severe health effects have been in Africa, though significant effects are also being felt in Latin America and in certa...

In addition to funds specifically for CDM projects, another source of funds for developing countries facing climate change are those designated as Official Development Assistance (ODA). Between 2000 and 2007, the region of Latin America and the Caribbean received 8.5% of these funds. One category of these resources is directed at providing development assistance that targets the objectives of the three Rio Conventions: the United Nations Conventi...

In addition to carbon dioxide (CO2), other greenhouse gasses that play an important role in the region are methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gasses are produced primarily in the sectors of waste management, mining, industrial processes, and in the production and distribution of natural gas, petroleum and agricultural products. Among the region’s countries, Brazil is the highest emitter of both methane and nitrous oxide. Other countries...

Regional climate change patterns projected for the end of the century indicate that the Central American and Caribbean sub-regions will experience an increase in the intensity of hurricanes, along with a reduction in precipitation and a corresponding series of droughts. In Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, glaciers will continue to shrink, while countries with coasts on the Pacific and Atlantic Ocea...

Data on carbon dioxide emissions makes it possible to identify the main emitting countries within Latin America and the Caribbean. Chief among the emitters is Brazil, accounting for 52%, which together with Mexico, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Argentina accounted for 79% of the total greenhouse gas emissions of the region in 2005. While specific percentages (excluding emissions associated with land use changes) vary, these four countr...

Although 70% of South America’s electricity comes from hydroelectric sources, the situation in Central America and the Caribbean is quite different. In these two regions electric-power generation rely predominantly on fossil fuels. For Latin America and the Caribbean overall, fossil fuels (primarily oil and natural gas) continued to be the most important source (76%) for producing energy in the year 2007. Of the energy produced in the region, onl...

Changes in precipitation and temperature influence changes in runoff and the availability of water. Results from models of changes in runoff are consistent with predictions for precipitation. For 2090-2099, in areas for which increases in the rainfall regimen are expected, increases in runoff are also projected. The anticipated changes in runoff are based on the A1B climate change scenario which assumes future rapid demographic and economic growt...