The IPCC’s Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate What’s in it for Latin America?

This guide, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in 2019, distils the findings of the IPCC's Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate specifically for decision-makers in Latin America. It details the physical changes occurring in the oceans and high mountain frozen lands, the resulting risks to marine life and human societies, and the necessity of integrating mitigation, adaptation, and inclusive governance to build climate resilience in the region.

• Human-induced climate change is altering ocean chemistry and temperature, leading to increased acidification, warming, and a decrease in dissolved oxygen. The oceans have absorbed more than 90% of the excess heat in the climate system and between 20% to 30% of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions since the 1980s.
• Ocean warming and acidification are severely impacting marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and kelp forests. Marine heatwaves have doubled in frequency since 1982, causing massive coral bleaching events that can take 15 years to recover.
• Climate change is shifting the distribution and abundance of fish stocks, which threatens the livelihoods and food security of local populations. Tropical oceans are expected to see fish catch decreases three times greater than the global average under high warming scenarios.
• The Humboldt Current, a nutrient-rich upwelling system affecting the coasts of Chile, Peru, and Ecuador with an estimated annual economic value of US$19.45 billion, is becoming more acidic and deoxygenated.
• Global sea levels are rising at 3.6 mm per year, twice the rate of the 20th century, creating a 'coastal squeeze' where built environments and rising seas trap fertile coastal ecosystems like mangroves and seagrasses.
• In the Andean region, the cryosphere is melting, leading to irreversible changes in river runoff. Small glaciers in the Andes are projected to lose 80% of their current ice mass by 2100 under high emission scenarios, potentially impacting hydropower and agriculture.
• Melting glaciers and permafrost increase natural hazards in high mountain areas, including landslides and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF). In Peru's Cordillera Blanca, these hazards have killed thousands of people since the 1940s.
• Climate-related hazards often combine with unsustainable human activities to create compound risks. Examples include algal blooms driven by both nutrient runoff and increased temperatures, and the bioaccumulation of mercury and organic pollutants in seafood.
• Investing in disaster risk reduction is more cost-effective than recovery; a global estimate suggests that every dollar invested in preparation saves US$2 – 4 in recovery costs.
• Effective coastal protection requires a mix of 'hard' infrastructure (e.g., seawalls), 'soft' sediment-based protection, and ecosystem-based adaptation (e.g., mangrove restoration). While blue carbon ecosystems provide storm protection and carbon sequestration, they cannot replace the need for rapid greenhouse gas emission reductions.
• Climate change impacts are gendered; in places like Coyuca de Benitez, Mexico, women act as primary caregivers and first defenders during disasters but often have less access to education, formal labor markets, and decision-making processes.
• Urgent mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions is the primary method to limit damage to the oceans and cryosphere. While some changes (like glacier melt and permafrost thaw) are now inevitable until 2050, low emission scenarios will reduce the rate and intensity of warming and acidification in the late 21st century.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2019). The IPCC’s Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate What’s in it for Latin America? https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Oceans-Latin-America_WEB_0.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. The IPCC’s Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate What’s in it for Latin America? 2019. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Oceans-Latin-America_WEB_0.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=The IPCC’s Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate What’s in it for Latin America? |date=2019 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Oceans-Latin-America_WEB_0.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 the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate What’s in it for Latin America?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2019}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Oceans-Latin-America_WEB_0.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }