State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2020 WEATHER CLIMATE WATER CLIMATE WEATHER
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2020 WEATHER CLIMATE WATER CLIMATE WEATHER WMO-No. 1272 WMO-No. 1272 © World Meteorological Organization, 2021 The right of publication in print, electronic and any other form and in any language is reserved by WMO. Short extracts from WMO publications may be reproduced without authorization, provided that the complete source is clearly indicated. Editorial correspondence and requests to publish, reproduce or translate this publication in part or in whole should be addressed to: Chair, Publications Board World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 7 bis, avenue de la Paix Tel.: +41 (0) 22 730 84 03 P.O. Box 2300 Fax: +41 (0) 22 730 81 17 CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Email: [email protected] ISBN 978-92-63-11272-9 Cover illustration: Mangroves in Los Haitises National Park (Dominican Republic): Anton Bielousov; Wildfires Brazil: Christian Braga; Hurricane Iota: NOAA; Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina: AdobeStock (264550963) NOTE The designations employed in WMO publications and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WMO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by WMO in preference to others of a similar nature which are not mentioned or advertised. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in WMO publications with named authors are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of WMO or its Members. B Contents Key Messages. 2 Foreword . 3 Overview . 4 Global Climate Context in 2020 . 5 Temperature . 5 Greenhouse gas concentrations . 5 Latin America and the Caribbean . 6 Temperature . 6 Precipitation . 8 Glaciers . .10 Ocean . 11 Key climate drivers . .14 Extreme events . .15 Tropical cyclones . .15 Drought . 15 Heatwaves and wildfires . 18 Cold waves. .20 Heavy precipitation and associated flooding . .20 Climate-related Impacts and Risks . .21 Impacts on sectors . .21 Impacts on agriculture and water resources . .21 Impacts on forest and ecosystem services . .22 Impacts on socioeconomic development, infrastructure and displacement . .23 Impacts on low-lying zones and small islands . .25 Ocean acidification and impacts on coral reefs. .25 Risks associated with extreme events . .26 Enhancing climate resilience and adaptation policies . .29 Ecosystem-based adaptation . .29 Improving multi-hazard risk-information systems and climate services . 29 Further reading . .31 List of contributors. .32 1 Key Messages The year 2020 was one of the three warmest Hurricanes Eta and Iota reached category years on record for Mexico/Central America 4 intensity and made landfall in the same and the Caribbean, and the second warmest region in quick succession; they followed year for South America. Temperatures were identical paths across Nicaragua and 1.0 °C, 0.8 °C and 0.6 °C above the 1981–2010 Honduras, affecting the same areas and average, respectively. exacerbating related impacts. In the Chilean and Argentine Andes, glaciers Marine life, coastal ecosystems and the have been retreating during the last decades. human communities that depend on them, Ice mass loss has accelerated since 2010, particularly in Small Island Developing in line with an increase in seasonal and annual States, are facing increasing threats from temperatures and a significant reduction ocean acidification, sea-level rise, warming in annual precipitation in the region. oceans, and more intense and frequent tropical storms. The intense drought in southern Amazonia and the Pantanal was the worst in the past Adaptation measures, particularly 60 years, and 2020 surpassed 2019 to become multi-hazard early warning systems, are the most active fire year in the southern underdeveloped in the Latin America and the Amazon. Caribbean region. Support from governments and the science and technology community Widespread drought across the Latin is critical to strengthening their development, America and the Caribbean region has had as well as to improving data collection and significant impact on inland shipping routes, storage and firmly integrating disaster risk crop yields and food production, leading to information into development planning. worsening food insecurity in many areas. Strong financial support is fundamental Precipitation deficits are particularly adverse to achieving this outcome. in the Caribbean region, which presents high vulnerability to drought and has several of its territories on the global list of the most water-stressed countries, with less than 1 000 m3 freshwater resources per capita. 2 Foreword The State of the Climate (SoC) in Latin America report, which primarily affected the region and the Caribbean (LAC) report for 2020 is the in 2020, with impacts to most vulnerable first report of its kind to be released, under the communities, among which are the Small auspices of the WMO Regional Association of Islands Development Countries. South America and the Regional Association of North America Central America and the Based on the existing research and studies Caribbean. It focuses on a set of up-to-date provided by various institutions in the re- key climate indicators, climate trends, and gion, the report made also an emphasis on extreme weather and climate events which enhancing climate resilience through iden- were recorded in 2020. The report aims at tified pathways, such as ecosystem-based providing science-based knowledge that can responses and enhancing climate services contribute to informing decision making in and multi-hazard early warning among other climate change mitigation and adaptation. areas of improvement. Increasing temperatures, glaciers retreat, I take this opportunity to congratulate all sea level rise, ocean acidification, coral reefs individuals and institutions who contributed bleaching, land and marine heatwaves, in- to this report and thank sister United Nations tense tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, agencies for joining efforts and delivering and wildfires have been highlighted in this this highly informative report. (P. Taalas) Secretary-General 3 Overview State of the Climate in Latin America and reference period. National and international the Caribbean 2020 represents the first institutions provided additional information multi- agency effort involving National and data. In some cases, auxiliary informa- Meteorological and Hydrological Services tion was obtained from local and national (NMHSs), WMO Regional Climate Centres news from newspapers, websites and social (RCCs), research institutions, and international networks. and regional organizations. A multidiscipli- nary group of 40 experts developed and High-impact events affecting the region in reviewed this report through an interactive 2020 were associated with loss of or damage process coordinated by the WMO Offices to vital infrastructures of communities and for Regional Association III and Regional populations. Notable impacts included water Association IV. and energy-related shortages, displacement, and compromised population safety, health This report provides a snapshot of climate and livelihoods. Towards the end of 2020, trends, variability, observed high-impact intense rainfall events brought landslides, weather and climate events, and associated floods and flash floods to rural and urban areas risks and impacts in key sensitive sectors for in Central and South America. A weak North the period January–December 2020. It is the American monsoon and colder-than-normal result of a collaboration among countries, pre- sea-surface temperatures along the eastern senting information from various independent Pacific associated with La Niña resulted in sources to assess weather, hydrology and drought in Mexico. The devastation that climate conditions in the region. It includes resulted from Hurricanes Eta and Iota in transboundary analyses, including of the Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa drought in the South American Pantanal and Rica, and the intense drought and unusual of the intense hurricane season in Central fire season in the Pantanal region of Brazil, America and the Caribbean and associated the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Paraguay impacts. In addition, the report identifies and Argentina, demonstrate the critical need areas for improvement in the management for operational and scientific collaboration, of hydrometeorological risks and data, and and for continuous data exchange, in order knowledge gaps. to better characterize those phenomena and their impacts. These impacts were exacer- The findings presented in this report are based bated by the COVID-19 outbreak. From the on a standard methodology for assessing various analyses provided in this report, it is the physical aspects of the climate system, evident that urgent efforts should be pursued drawing on data from 1 700 meteorological to enhance resilience through appropriate stations in Mexico, Central America and the prevention and risk-management measures. Caribbean, and from gridded data for South These include strengthening multi-hazard America. The data were compiled through early warning systems (MHEWSs), through a joint effort by WMO RCCs. Anomalies and enhanced synergy among various stakehold- percentages were derived for air temperature ers at the national and international levels, and rainfall data relative