El Informe Especial del IPCC sobre el océano y la criósfera en un clima cambiante ¿Qué significa para América Latina?

This guide, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in 2019, translates the findings of the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate for decision-makers in Latin America. It details how human-induced climate change is altering ocean chemistry and temperature, accelerating sea-level rise, and melting high-mountain glaciers, with specific focus on the Humboldt Current and the Andean region. The document emphasizes that while some changes are now inevitable, urgent mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and early investment in adaptation and resilient coastal development are critical to reducing future risks and costs.

• Human-induced climate change is causing oceans to become warmer, more acidic, and less productive. Since the 1980s, oceans have absorbed 20% to 30% of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions, increasing acidification. Additionally, over 90% of the excess heat in the climate system has been absorbed by the oceans, leading to a doubling in the frequency of marine heatwaves since 1982.
• Ocean warming and acidification are severely impacting marine life and the humans who depend on it. Coral reefs, seashells, and other calcium-based species are being destroyed, with some reefs taking 15 years to recover from bleaching events. Marine species are shifting their distributions, and fish populations are expected to decrease in biomass, particularly in tropical oceans where catches could drop three times more than the global average in high-warming scenarios.
• The Humboldt Current, a nutrient-rich upwelling system affecting the coasts of Chile, Peru, and Ecuador, is becoming more acidic and deoxygenated. This system provides an estimated US $19.45 billion in annual goods and services, meaning climate impacts here will have disproportionately large consequences for human society, specifically regarding fisheries and aquaculture.
• Global sea levels are rising at a rate of 3.6 mm per year, which is double the rate of the 20th century. By 2100, sea levels could rise between 29–59 cm even with drastic emission reductions, or 61–110 cm under high-emission scenarios. This causes 'coastal squeeze,' where ecosystems like mangroves and salt marshes are trapped between rising seas and human infrastructure.
• High-mountain frozen lands (the cryosphere) in the Andean region are melting, leading to irreversible changes in river runoff. In the Tropical Andes, most glaciers have already passed their peak annual and summer runoff levels, and runoff is now expected to decrease. Small glaciers in the Andes could lose 80% of their current ice mass by 2100 under high-emission scenarios.
• The melting of the cryosphere increases natural hazards in high-mountain areas, including landslides, avalanches, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). In Peru's Cordillera Blanca, glacier melt has caused deaths of thousands of people since the 1940s. Additionally, the melting of glaciers and permafrost may release heavy metals, such as mercury, reducing water quality for domestic and agricultural use.
• Climate change is a factor in human displacement and migration in Latin America. In Colombia's San Juan river delta, several villages (El Choncho, San Juan de la Costa, Caarambira, and Togorama) required relocation due to recurrent flooding during El Niño years. In the Peruvian Central Andes, people from villages highly dependent on glacier meltwater travel further and stay away longer for work.
• Early investment in disaster risk reduction is more cost-effective than recovering from damages. Globally, every dollar invested in risk reduction is estimated to save US $2–4 in recovery costs. In Europe, every euro invested in early warning systems saves 400 euros in recovery costs. Nature-based solutions, such as wetlands, also provide significant protection; in the US, wetlands provide US $23.2 billion annually in storm protection services.
• Coastal development must adapt to sea-level rise using a mix of 'hard' infrastructure (dikes, seawalls), 'soft' sediment-based protection (beach nourishment), and ecosystem-based adaptation (restoring mangroves and coral reefs). While hard protection provides predictable security, ecosystem-based solutions offer co-benefits like carbon sequestration ('blue carbon'), biodiversity gain, and improved fisheries, though their effectiveness is limited if global warming exceeds 2–3°C.
• Effective climate adaptation requires integrated governance that addresses social inequalities. In Coyuca de Benítez, Mexico, research showed that women act as primary defenders during disasters but have less access to education and formal labor markets, limiting their resilience. Similarly, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the most vulnerable populations in precarious settlements along the Matanza-Riachuelo basin are most exposed to flooding and lack public policies for adaptation.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2019). El Informe Especial del IPCC sobre el océano y la criósfera en un clima cambiante ¿Qué significa para América Latina? https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Ocean_Latin-America_Spanish_WEB_24April2020.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. El Informe Especial del IPCC sobre el océano y la criósfera en un clima cambiante ¿Qué significa para América Latina? 2019. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Ocean_Latin-America_Spanish_WEB_24April2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=El Informe Especial del IPCC sobre el océano y la criósfera en un clima cambiante ¿Qué significa para América Latina? |date=2019 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Ocean_Latin-America_Spanish_WEB_24April2020.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2019informe, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{El Informe Especial del IPCC sobre el océano y la criósfera en un clima cambiante ¿Qué significa para América Latina?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2019}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Ocean_Latin-America_Spanish_WEB_24April2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }