Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report in Latin America and the Caribbean: Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters

This report synthesizes findings from the IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX), specifically applying them to Latin America and the Caribbean. It examines the interaction between climate extremes, human vulnerability, and exposure, arguing that disaster risk is increasing not only due to climate change but also because of skewed development processes. The document provides observed and projected trends for temperature and precipitation extremes across various sub-regions and offers a framework for integrating disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA) to build long-term resilience.

• Disaster risk in many countries is increasing independently of climate change because more vulnerable people and assets are being exposed to weather extremes. This is exemplified by the growth of informal settlements in countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru.
• While attributing individual events to climate change is difficult, data since 1950 suggests that climate change has already altered the magnitude and frequency of some extreme weather events globally. In Brazil, flooding in July 2009 reached record highs based on 106 years of data.
• Observed changes in climate extremes since the 1950s vary by sub-region in Latin America. For instance, Northeastern Brazil has seen increases in warm days and warm nights, while the Amazon has seen an increase in heavy precipitation in many areas and a decrease in dryness for much of the region.
• Projections for the end of the 21st century (under A2/A1B scenarios) indicate a likely increase in warm days, warm nights, and heat waves across most sub-regions, including the Amazon, Northeastern Brazil, Southeastern South America, West Coast South America, and Central America and Mexico. Dryness is projected to increase specifically in Central America and Mexico.
• The Caribbean region is particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise, which increases extreme sea levels and compounds the impacts of tropical cyclone maximum wind speeds. More than 50% of the Caribbean population lives within 1.5 km of the shore, threatening critical infrastructure like international airports and capital cities.
• Economic losses from weather- and climate-related disasters are increasing, driven largely by increased exposure. While absolute losses are highest in developed nations, fatality rates and losses as a proportion of GDP are higher in developing countries. For example, Hurricane Mitch caused damages to Honduras in 1998 equivalent to 95% of its annual GDP.
• Effective disaster risk management (DRM) requires a balance between risk reduction, risk transfer (such as insurance), and disaster impact management. Examples of integrating contingencies into budgetary processes are found in Mexico, Colombia, and several Caribbean countries.
• National risk management systems are central to a country's capacity to handle climate challenges. Cuba's system is noted as a well-studied example of an effective national system involving government, private sector, research bodies, and civil society.
• Local-level DRM is enhanced when local knowledge is integrated with scientific data. Examples include community-based flood warnings in Costa Rica and the organization of civil defence committees in Cuba at the block and neighbourhood levels.
• Risk transfer mechanisms, such as the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) launched in 2007, provide immediate liquidity to governments for recovery and rehabilitation, which incentivizes further investment in risk reduction.
• Synergies between mitigation and adaptation can improve cost-effectiveness. In Brazil, the creation of a biodiversity-rich forest reserve of over 30 million hectares has reduced emissions by an estimated 1.8 billion tons of carbon through avoided deforestation.

APA

Cameron, C., Norrington-Davies, G., & Velde, V. T. (2012). Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report in Latin America and the Caribbean: Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SREX-Lessons-for-LAC-revised-final1.pdf

Chicago

Cameron, Catherine, Gemma Norrington-Davies, and Victoria te Velde. Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report in Latin America and the Caribbean: Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2012. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SREX-Lessons-for-LAC-revised-final1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cameron |first1=Catherine |last2=Norrington-Davies |first2=Gemma |last3=Velde |first3=Victoria te |title=Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report in Latin America and the Caribbean: Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=2012 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SREX-Lessons-for-LAC-revised-final1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cameron2012lessons, author = {Cameron, Catherine and Norrington-Davies, Gemma and Velde, Victoria te}, title = {{Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report in Latin America and the Caribbean: Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2012}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SREX-Lessons-for-LAC-revised-final1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }