GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Latin America and the Caribbean
Reducing the vulnerability of the region to climate change impacts will require
robust adaptation policies and
strategies. Particularly in the context of adaptation, policy development needs to be adjusted to the challenges of growing urbanization. Focus must also be placed on the high-risk coastal communities, particularly in the Caribbean, that will be affected by sea level rise and extreme weather events. Climate adaptation policies also have to be cross- cutting to address nexus issues such as the water-energy- food nexus. In addition ecosystem-based adaptation could help maintain and improve ecosystem integrity and at the same time reduce economic and social vulnerability.
In the context of climate mitigation policies, while the region accounts for only 5 per cent of global GHG emissions, many countries have been leading the formulation of global mitigation strategies (see for instance the policy responses in Sections 2.1.5 and 2.4.5, or Section 3.2.6). Two policy areas could advance LAC´s climate change mitigation goals and support economic growth: reducing energy subsidies and improving energy efficiency. Further, policies that promote clean technologies and facilitate more diversified low-carbon economies can, over time, greatly improve environmental quality.
1.2.2 Water resources management
LAC´s economy and social development depend largely on natural resources, particularly on water. Being one of the most water-rich areas of the world, management of demand from different sectors was until recently on the background of water governance. But given the increasing pressure from population and economic growth and the influence of climate change, governments, private sector and civil society have acknowledged the need for integrated approaches to water management. Governments of the region are important advocates of water protection issues in the framework of the United Nations (Sustainable Development Goals, the Human Right to Water and Sanitation, the Samoa Pathway), at regional level (LAC´s Initiative for Sustainable Development – ILAC)
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and at national level (governance approaches recognizing rights of nature, implementation of water accounting, etc.).
Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go. Addressing the challenges of water management is complex considering its cross-cutting nature. Water cannot be decoupled from energy generation and food production. Similarly, water cannot be decoupled from climate change and health. Finally, water is an important source of jobs and thus key to sustain livelihoods.
1.2.3 Sustainable management of biological resources
The wide diversity of ecosystems in LAC provides critical services to support economic development and ensure a good quality of life. Approximately one quarter of the tropical forests in the world are found in LAC, and they contribute significantly to the regulation of the global climate. The region also provides several
services including food, freshwater, tourism and fisheries.
Yet, the biodiversity of the region continues to be threatened, putting many ecosystems and species at risk. Unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and global demand for food and raw materials continue to place growing pressures on the region’s ecosystems. Land use change continues to be the greatest threat, with natural habitats converted to agricultural lands being a key pressure. Other pressures such as pollution, overharvesting, climate change, unsustainable tourism, and alien invasive species continue to exacerbate already stressed systems.
Data shows that, although the rate of conversion of natural systems has begun to slow, the overall rate of loss of ecosystems remains high (see Sections 2.4.3 and 2.5.3). Pockets of success, such as increasing forested areas such as in the Caribbean, halting the rate of forest loss across the entire region and protecting threatened species continue to be masked by deterioration of biodiversity in many other
other biodiversity-related
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