Climate Change Impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean

This report, published by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), examines the multifaceted impacts of climate change across Latin America and the Caribbean. It highlights the vulnerability of rural communities, women, and artisanal fisheries, while discussing the intersection of environmental degradation, public health, and migration. The document advocates for a 'transdisciplinary' approach to science that integrates local and Indigenous knowledge into policy-making to build regional resilience.

• Rural and Indigenous communities in Latin America and the Caribbean are disproportionately affected by the destruction of nature, often experiencing a disconnect between international climate forums and the local realities of their territories.
• Ocean warming in the South-West Atlantic, particularly affecting the continental shelf of southern Brazil, Uruguay, and northern Argentina, has led to mass mortality of cold-water species and an increase in harmful algal blooms (red tides).
• Rural women in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region face heightened vulnerability to climate change due to structural gender inequalities, including limited access to land, credit, and technical assistance.
• Climate change significantly disrupts education in the region by destroying school infrastructure and reducing learning achievements; for example, Hurricane Matthew damaged 300 schools in Haiti in 2016.
• Climate change is a major driver of migration in the Americas, with projections suggesting that 17 million people may migrate within Latin America due to climate change by 2050.
• The Amazon rainforest is trapped in a 'vicious circle' where climate change makes forests more vulnerable to wildfires, and these fires in turn increase CO2 emissions and worsen regional weather conditions.
• In the Paraná River basin, the operation of hydroelectric reservoirs to ensure energy security often conflicts with the needs of aquatic biodiversity and the livelihoods of local fishing communities.
• Environmental changes, including habitat destruction and rising temperatures, are increasing the risk of zoonotic diseases and the emergence of new viruses by facilitating viral exchange between species.
• There is a critical need to transition from centralized, technocratic water governance to participatory models, such as basin committees, to better manage water crises and climate unpredictability in South America.
• Traditional scientific approaches often ignore the perspectives of local and Indigenous populations, leading to 'dehumanised policies' and a distrust of science; the report proposes 'transdisciplinary science' as a solution.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (n.d.). Climate Change Impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/EN-Climate%20change%20impacts%20in%20Latin%20America%20and%20the%20Caribbean.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Climate Change Impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean. n.d. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/EN-Climate%20change%20impacts%20in%20Latin%20America%20and%20the%20Caribbean.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Climate Change Impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean |url=https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/EN-Climate%20change%20impacts%20in%20Latin%20America%20and%20the%20Caribbean.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearchndclimate, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Climate Change Impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, url = {https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/EN-Climate%20change%20impacts%20in%20Latin%20America%20and%20the%20Caribbean.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }