Climate Change Adaptation and Population Dynamics in Latin America and the Caribbean: Key Issues for Policy Makers

Global climate change trends indicate that even with mitigation efforts, our planet will continue warming into the next century, leading to more extreme climate conditions and weather events. The Latin America and Caribbean region is particularly vulnerable to some of the most challenging aspects of climate change—sea-level rise affecting coastal cities, changes in precipitation impacting agriculture, glacial melting threatening water reserves. Population trends—like migration and urbanization—can exacerbate these challenges or, in some cases, serve as methods of adaptation. Building resilience to climate change through adaptation efforts and women's empowerment are key strategies for enabling continued development across the region in climate-uncertain times.

The Wilson Center has worked closely with USAID Missions in Latin America and the Caribbean over the past two years to convene key stakeholders in the region and to explore promising tools in climate change adaptation through a series of seminars. On July 28, they brought to Washington top experts and policymakers from those seminars in Colombia, Barbados, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Peru, to further broaden the dialogue about climate adaptation and population dynamics in Latin America and the Caribbean; and to encourage the development of new policy and programmatic tools that help countries of the region meet the financial, organizational, and political challenges that climate change presents.

The panels were: 

1. Water Management and Engaging Stakeholders

• Ronald Ruiz, Regional Manager of Natural Resources and Environment Management, Government of Piura, Peru
• Daritza Nicodemo, General Coordinator, Centro de Estudios Urbanos y Regionales, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra
• Victor Guevara, Director General for Policies and Regulations, Ministerio de Construcción y Saneamiento, Vivienda
• Roger-Mark DeSouza, Director, Population, Environmental Security, and Resilience, Wilson Center
• Moderator: Carmen Lacambra, Consultant, Wilson Center

2. Adaptation, Health, Agriculture, and Food Security

• Sally Edwards, Advisor, Sustainable Development and Environmental Health, PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries
• Jose Luis Arellano, Project Chief, Operations and Conservation, Comision Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA), Mexico
• Lisa Palmer (remarks presented by Sandeep Bathala, Wilson Center), Fellow, National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC)
• Moderator: Steven R. Wilson, Inter-American Development Bank

3. Climate Change Adaptation Planning and Mainstreaming

• Patricia Ramirez (via Skype), Executive Secretary, Comité Regional de Recursos Hidráulicos del Istmo Centroamericano (CRRH-SICA) 
• Jessica Jacob, Climate Finance Expert
• Paula Sierra, Research Program Coordinator, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras – INVEMAR-Colombia
• Miguel Saravia, Executive Director, CONDESAN, Peru
• Miguel Villazon, Senior Advisor, Mayor’s Office of Valledupar, Colombia
• Moderator: Cynthia J. Arnson, Director, Latin American Program, Wilson Center

➔  REVIEW THE CONDESAN'S PRESENTATION here

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