GESTIÓN DE RIESGOS CLIMÁTICOS PARA LA AGRICULTURA DE PEQUEÑA ESCALA EN HONDURAS

This report, prepared by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), evaluates climate risks and management capacities for small-scale agriculture in Honduras. It identifies the sector's high vulnerability due to economic poverty, environmental degradation, and reliance on rain-fed crops. The document analyzes current climate threats—such as droughts, hurricanes, and floods—and projects a hotter, drier future that threatens national development goals, food security, and the livelihoods of small-scale farmers. It concludes with recommendations for local practical measures, institutional governance reforms, and further research to enhance adaptive capacity.

• Honduras is highly vulnerable to climate risks, with the agricultural sector contributing 12% of the GDP and providing livelihoods for the majority of the population. Small-scale farmers are particularly exposed as the expansion of monocultures and livestock pushes them toward "suelos cada vez más pobres y escarpados".
• Current climate threats include droughts and aridity in the west, center, south, and southeast; tropical storms and cyclones causing floods and landslides nationwide (primarily in the northeast); and cold fronts on the Caribbean coast. Historical events like Hurricane Mitch in 1998 caused over 2 billion USD in agricultural losses.
• Climate projections indicate a hotter and drier future, with warming trends 50% faster in the southwest than the northeast. Annual precipitation is expected to decrease between 3% and 10% by 2025, and potentially between 13% and 31% by 2090, with the most acute water shortages occurring from June to August.
• Future climate change is projected to significantly reduce yields of staple crops. For maize, average yields across seven study sites are expected to decrease by 4% by 2025 and 12% by 2050 compared to 2000. For beans, the projected decrease is 11% by 2025 and 32% by 2050.
• Small-scale farmers possess limited adaptive capacity due to low income, low education levels, and lack of insurance for crops. While some use sustainable strategies like crop diversification and seed banks, many rely on unsustainable coping mechanisms such as migration or deforestation.
• Climate risks threaten national development goals, including poverty reduction, food security, and the targets of the 'Estrategia del Sector Público Agroalimentario', which aims for a 4% annual growth in the agricultural sector and a 70% increase in exports over four years.
• Honduras has established institutional frameworks for risk management, including COPECO for disaster risk and SERNA for climate change. However, there is a lack of integration between disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, and climate risks are not sufficiently incorporated into key policies like the 'Estrategia del Sector Público Agroalimentario'.
• Significant gaps exist in climate information and capacity, including fragmented historical meteorological data, a lack of continuous data series, few qualified climatologists, and underdeveloped early warning systems.
• Priority risk management measures identified include improving local governance (e.g., basin councils), implementing climate-aware territorial planning, expanding irrigation and water harvesting, promoting agroforestry, and improving access to credit and weather insurance.
• The report recommends that the government strengthen the political influence of coordinating bodies, ensure the execution of existing policies, and involve national universities in research on drought-resistant crops and irrigation technology.

APA

Keller, M. (2013). GESTIÓN DE RIESGOS CLIMÁTICOS PARA LA AGRICULTURA DE PEQUEÑA ESCALA EN HONDURAS. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_honduras_es.pdf

Chicago

Keller, Marius. GESTIÓN DE RIESGOS CLIMÁTICOS PARA LA AGRICULTURA DE PEQUEÑA ESCALA EN HONDURAS. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_honduras_es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Keller |first1=Marius |title=GESTIÓN DE RIESGOS CLIMÁTICOS PARA LA AGRICULTURA DE PEQUEÑA ESCALA EN HONDURAS |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_honduras_es.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{keller2013gestin, author = {Keller, Marius}, title = {{GESTIÓN DE RIESGOS CLIMÁTICOS PARA LA AGRICULTURA DE PEQUEÑA ESCALA EN HONDURAS}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_honduras_es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }