Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean and Implications for Development

This research paper synthesizes the physical and biophysical impacts of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean, projecting significant temperature increases, altered precipitation, and threats to biodiversity and human livelihoods.

• Projections for Latin America and the Caribbean by the end of the century include mean temperature increases of up to 4.5 °C relative to pre-industrial levels. This warming is associated with increased heat extremes, higher risks of drought, increasing aridity, and altered precipitation regimes.
• Climate change is expected to increase the mean intensity of tropical cyclones and the frequency of the most intense storms, while sea levels are projected to rise by approximately 0.2–1.1 mm, depending on the region and warming level.
• Biophysical impacts include substantial decreases in tropical glacier volume, potential Amazon rainforest degradation, and a high risk of annual coral reef bleaching events starting between 2040 and 2050. Hydrological changes include reduced runoff in Central America, the southern Amazon basin, and southernmost South America, though river discharge may increase in the Andes during the wet season and the western Amazon basin.
• Climate change is projected to reduce fisheries, livestock, and agricultural yields, though some opportunities exist, such as increased rice yields in several LAC countries and higher fish catch potential in southernmost South American waters. These impacts threaten human livelihoods, specifically income from tourism, agriculture, and fisheries, and negatively affect energy systems, coastal infrastructures, and human health.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2018). Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean and Implications for Development. https://www.sei.org/publications/climate-change-latin-america-caribbean-and-implications-development/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean and Implications for Development. 2018. https://www.sei.org/publications/climate-change-latin-america-caribbean-and-implications-development/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean and Implications for Development |date=9 April 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/climate-change-latin-america-caribbean-and-implications-development/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2018climate, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean and Implications for Development}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/climate-change-latin-america-caribbean-and-implications-development/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }