Latin America

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Latin America is characterized by a varied climate ranging from the hot and humid Amazonian River basin to the dry and desert-like conditions of northern Mexico and southern Chile. The Amazonian river basin has the largest stocks of tropical rain forest worldwide, but its biodiversity is at risk as changing climatic conditions and ongoing deforestation are causing species loss. Even though Latin America is highly heterogeneous in terms of climate, rising temperatures are being observed in all countries. One consequence is glacier melting, which is becoming increasingly critical in the Andean countries. Besides inundations and fresh water scarcity, glacier melting also contributes to the rising sea level, which has severe negative impacts on the coastal zones. Increases in rainfall are observed in some regions, whereas it is decreasing in others, with the highest anomalies being observed in the tropical parts. Extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts and landslides are occurring more often and intense and contribute to the enhanced vulnerability of local communities to natural disasters. The agricultural sector will be hit especially hard by water stress, as crop yields are already declining. Agriculture further faces an increase in crop pests and diseases. The population is also impacted by different health problems, diseases and fresh water scarcity, caused by heat stress, droughts and floods.