CLIMATE CHANGE: THE NEW EVOLUTIONARY CHALLENGE FOR THE GALAPAGOS

The program seeks to reduce the Galapagos' dependency on mainland Ecuador and mitigate climate risks to its tourism-driven economy. Key initiatives include diversifying the energy matrix with renewables, implementing energy efficiency in the tourism sector, building a climate-resilient food system, and adopting ecosystem-based adaptation in High-Ecological Value Areas (HEVAs). The project aims to benefit 250,000 people and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1.2 million tons of CO2eq over 20 years, with a total indicative cost of USD 123,768,058.

• The Galapagos economy is heavily dependent on nature-based tourism, which generates annual revenues of USD 450,000,000 and represents nearly 80% of the local economy.
• Climate projections for Santa Cruz island indicate a progressive increase in annual maximum and minimum air temperatures by 1.8-5ºC and 3-5ºC respectively throughout the 21st century, with precipitation expected to increase between 90% and 140%.
• The energy sector in the Galapagos is dominated by diesel, with 85% of generation coming from diesel, 11% from wind, and 4% from solar as of the 2016-2025 Electricity Masterplan.
• The food system is highly vulnerable due to a heavy reliance on imports; in 2014, 76% of the 25,000 tons of food consumed were imported, and this is projected to reach 31,825 tons by 2030.
• The program aims to reduce GHG emissions by 34,805 TonCO2/year by 2026 through the installation of renewable energy generation systems.
• Ecosystem-based adaptation will target High-Ecological Value Areas (HEVAs), aiming to increase the resilience of at least 10 marine and terrestrial areas covering 2,000 km2 by the end of the fifth year.
• The program intends to implement climate-resilient practices on at least 60% of the islands' agricultural land, covering a minimum of 5,000 hectares.
• The total indicative cost of the program is USD 123,768,058, with USD 65,480,750 requested from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
• The program is expected to create over 450 jobs, with the largest share (53%) in the agricultural sector.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2019). CLIMATE CHANGE: THE NEW EVOLUTIONARY CHALLENGE FOR THE GALAPAGOS. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/21950-climate-change-new-evolutionary-challenge-galapagos.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. CLIMATE CHANGE: THE NEW EVOLUTIONARY CHALLENGE FOR THE GALAPAGOS. 2019. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/21950-climate-change-new-evolutionary-challenge-galapagos.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=CLIMATE CHANGE: THE NEW EVOLUTIONARY CHALLENGE FOR THE GALAPAGOS |date=20 December 2019 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/21950-climate-change-new-evolutionary-challenge-galapagos.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2019climate, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{CLIMATE CHANGE: THE NEW EVOLUTIONARY CHALLENGE FOR THE GALAPAGOS}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/21950-climate-change-new-evolutionary-challenge-galapagos.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }