Launch of the Report on the State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2021, and High-level Panel “Climate, weather and water related impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean: partnerships to strengthen Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems
Background and Context
The warming trend continued in 2021 in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The average rate at which temperatures increased was around 0.2 °C per decade between 1991 and 2021, compared to 0.1 °C per decade between 1961 and 1990. It was also the seventh consecutive year in which at least one storm formed prior to the official beginning of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, and the third-most active hurricane season, producing 21 named storms.
Central America saw acute food insecurity due to the dual impact of hurricanes Eta and Iota and the lingering economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 7.7 million people in three countries were exposed to high levels of food insecurity. The LAC Region faces, and will continue to face, severe socio-economic crises due to extreme hydro-meteorological events, post-COVID-19 recovery and more recently, the global impact of the Ukraine war.
On 23 March 2022, World Meteorological Day, United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres requested that WMO spearhead a new initiative to ensure every person on the globe is protected by early warning systems in the next five years. This ambitious goal of extending the coverage of Multi-Hazards Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) constitutes a powerful tool for effective adaptation while mitigating the social and economic impacts of adverse events. However, the fragmentation and overlapping of efforts will require increased coordination and strengthening of partnerships to foster synergies and reach a common goal across the LAC region.
This High-level Panel jointly hosted by WMO Regional Associations III and IV, and co-organized with ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) and UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) will be the place to launch the Report on the State of Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2021 and discuss with partners opportunities to strengthen Multi-Hazard Early Warning systems in the region.
Main Objectives and Expected Outcomes
- Launch the Report on the State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2021
- Promote high-level partnership among the international, regional, and financial institutions to identify specific areas of collaboration to support the consolidation and expansion of early warning systems through impact-based forecasting and risk-based warnings of extreme weather, water, and climate event
- Identify key messages from the region to be promoted at COP27