Colombia

Dr Paola Arias, an author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, details a 2019 community meeting in Bogotá where a ceiling collapse caused by heavy rains served as a real-time example of climate risk. She argues that interpreting scientific evidence through the lens of social impacts and daily local issues—such as Bogotá's flood plain construction and landfill collapse—is more effective for public engagement than traditional presentation protocols.

• Dr Paola Arias utilizes a public engagement strategy that combines scientific evidence with interpretations of social impacts to increase the potential for interaction with the public.
• During the "Second Distrital Symposium on Climate Change" in Bogotá in July 2019, an incident where heavy rains caused a ceiling to collapse and cut electricity allowed for a more intimate, question-driven discussion on risk management and the climate crisis.
• Local environmental issues in Bogotá, including the city's construction over flood plains and the current collapse of its landfill due to water table and percolation issues, serve as critical links for connecting residents to the global climate crisis.

APA

Arias, P. (2020). Colombia. Climate Outreach. https://climateoutreach.org/case-studies-from-ipcc-authors/colombia/

Chicago

Arias, Paola. Colombia. Climate Outreach, 2020. https://climateoutreach.org/case-studies-from-ipcc-authors/colombia/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Arias |first1=Paola |title=Colombia |publisher=Climate Outreach |date=23 June 2020 |url=https://climateoutreach.org/case-studies-from-ipcc-authors/colombia/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{arias2020colombia, author = {Arias, Paola}, title = {{Colombia}}, institution = {Climate Outreach}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://climateoutreach.org/case-studies-from-ipcc-authors/colombia/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }