Disastrous effects of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean

Translated by Valeria D’Alessandro

Introduction

During 2023 and also in 2024, Latin America and the Caribbean faced devastating climatic phenomena that caused many deaths and severely damaged ecosystems and local economies. According to the annual report published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), climate change has had significant consequences on health, food and energy security, and economic development in the region. The year 2023 saw a series of extreme events such as droughts, fires, flooding and rising temperatures. For example, Hurricane Otis, which hit Acapulco in October was one of the most disastrous events ever, turning from a tropical depression to a hurricane with unprecedent intensity in only 12 hours. It caused the death of over 50 people and damages worth billions of dollars. Additionally, drought has reduced the rivers of the Amazon to record low levels, affecting traffic in the Panama Canal as well.

Devastating effects on indigenous tribes

Climate change has had a disproportionately greater impact on indigenous tribes in Latin America. These communities mainly depend on natural resources and ecosystems for their survival, and they often live in areas particularly vulnerable to extreme climatic events. Deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and alterations in water cycles are putting their food and water security at risk. Moreover, indigenous tribes have less access to infrastructures and emergency services, making it even harder for them to address and recover from climate disasters.

Indigenous communities in Amazon, for example, are being dramatically affected by drought and wildfires, which have devastated vast areas of rainforest fundamental for their sustenance and culture. Fires in Pantanal in Brazil, the largest wet zone in the world, have destroyed habitat and natural resources crucial for local tribes. These populations, usually socially and economically marginalized, are more vulnerable to climate change and have few resources to adapt to environmental changes.

Flooding, drought, hurricanes and fires

In 2023, extreme heatwaves also hit oceanic areas, raising the water temperatures by three and a half degree Celsius above normal. Agriculture and food safety were severely impacted. It is estimated that 13.8 million people suffered from food crisis, in particular in Central America and in the Caribbean.

In 2024, Mexico City, one of the largest cities in the world, faced its severest water crisis in recent history, due to drought, high temperatures and lack of precipitations. Currently, 70% of the city’s water comes from local wells, while the remaining 30% comes from the Cutzamala system, a complex of dams, reservoirs and sewage treatment plants that source water from hundreds of kilometers away.

El Niño and La Niña

These sudden changes, ranging from severe droughts to violent floods and inundation, are the results of multiannual transitions of the El Niño e La Niña phenomena. These represent the fluctuation of the Pacific Ocean’s water temperatures. El Niño is the warm phase, characterized by an abnormal heating of surface waters in the South Pacific, while La Niña is the cool phase, marked by a significant cooling of the waters. These phenomena occur regularly (every two to six years) and lasts 9-12 months.

Brazil was one of the most affected: flooding and landslides caused numerous casualties and economic losses, in addition to precarious hygienic conditions that increased the risk of epidemics such as cholera, hepatitis and dengue fever. Countries like Brazil, Perú, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina recorded the highest temperatures of September, with fires devastating many regions, victims of this heatwave brought by El Niño.

The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul is still grappling with the aftermath of forest fires in 2020, prompting the state to declare an “environmental emergency”. In contrast, the state of Rio Grande do Sul is still recovering from floods that affected 90% of its territory since May 2024, resulting in 163 deaths.

In northern of Urugay, over 2,000 people were displaced due to heavy rainfall. Parts of Ecuador experienced up to 13 hours of electric blackout caused by a water crisis that nearly depleted major hydroelectric reservoirs.

In conclusion, the results of climate change and of extreme weather events, such as El Niño and La Niña have caused devastation and suffering in Latin America and the Caribbean, underscoring the urgent need to address global warming and mitigate its effects on the region.

Mondo Internazionale APS - Riproduzione Riservata ® 2024