The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land What’s in it for Latin America?

This guide, produced by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) and partners, distils the 2019 IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land specifically for decision-makers in Latin America. It examines the reciprocal relationship between land and climate, the risks of desertification and land degradation to food security and livelihoods, and the potential for sustainable land management and integrated governance to mitigate these threats.

• Climate change is altering land-based ecosystems by shifting the distribution of land cover, biodiversity, vegetation structure, and nutrient and water cycles. In Latin America, shifting climate zones have been observed in southern Argentina and Northeast Brazil, while 'greening' (steady growth of vegetation) has been noted in southern Amazonia.
• Land conditions significantly influence regional climates through processes like 'moisture recycling,' where forests release water vapour that supports rainfall downwind. In South America, deforestation can potentially decrease this rainfall in neighbouring regions.
• Amazonian deforestation over the last 30 years has likely caused a transition where forested land shifted from being a carbon sink (absorbing carbon dioxide) to becoming a net carbon source.
• Global warming is reducing land productivity, which disproportionately affects the global South and the poorest populations. Specific regional impacts include altered crop yields in Colomi, Bolivia, and increased yield variability for soybeans and maize in Argentina.
• Dryland areas in Latin America are increasingly vulnerable to desertification, which costs many Central and South American countries between 8% and 14% of their gross agricultural product. In Northeast Brazil, 94% of drylands are susceptible to desertification, with up to 50% already degraded.
• Desertification poses a specific risk to energy infrastructure in Latin America via dust storms. In Chile's Atacama Desert, dust deposition reduced the performance of thin-film solar power modules by nearly 19% over one month.
• Climate change and land degradation act as 'threat multipliers' for vulnerable populations. The World Bank projects that by 2046–2055, the mean yields of 11 major global crops will decrease by 6% in the Caribbean and Latin America compared to 1996–2005.
• Sustainable land management (SLM) can reverse degradation and provide economic returns; 97% of studied SLM projects showed positive or very positive long-term cost-benefit ratios. Effective measures include agroforestry, reforestation, and improving soil carbon content.
• Gender inequality and insecure property rights hinder sustainable land management. Women often face greater vulnerability due to historic discrimination and lack of access to credit, agricultural advisory services, and land tenure, which limits their ability to act as agents of change.
• Integrated governance across sectors and scales is essential to manage competing land and water interests. A coordinated approach—such as the 'water-energy-food link'—is necessary to maximize the co-benefits of development and climate adaptation.
• While land-based options (like afforestation and bioenergy) are key to climate mitigation, they cannot solve the crisis alone and may increase competition for land, potentially threatening food security. Reducing emissions in other sectors is vital to relieve this pressure.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2019). The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land What’s in it for Latin America? https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Land_Latin-America_WEB_20Nov2019.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land What’s in it for Latin America? 2019. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Land_Latin-America_WEB_20Nov2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land What’s in it for Latin America? |date=2019 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Land_Latin-America_WEB_20Nov2019.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2019ipccs, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land What’s in it for Latin America?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2019}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Land_Latin-America_WEB_20Nov2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }