The Vulnerability of Latin America to Climate Change

       The United Nation's Climate Change Conference began at the beginning of this week in Durban, South Africa. 190 nations will be in attendance. As a result of recent weather events representatives of Latin America are attending this conference in search of answers and in effort to persuade other nations to commit to changes that will decrease the vulnerability of Latin America to climate change.The majority of Latin American nations will be taking their positions together with China and other developing nations in joint force called Group 77.
       According to the Climate Risk Index released earlier this week, the countries that are most vulnerable to climate changes are: Guatemala, Colombia, Honduras, Pakistan, Russia . You will notice that three out of the five are Latin American because: "Latin America is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events. We've had masses of ice loss in the Andes that affect water availability for agriculture, (causes), severe storms and flooding in Central America and north-south droughts"(Brazilian coordinator of the World Wild Fund, Carlos). Slavadoran Minister of Environment Herman Rosa Chavez reports that El Salvador, along with the rest of Central America, has decided to take a joint position at the conference in order to gain true recognition of their vulnerability to climate change. Chavez points out that Latin America is one of the few areas left in the world that still has land and water available, and where food production can increase significantly. However, if nothing is done to counter climate change, by 2070 crops will decrease dramatically and areas like Brazil could lose up to 40% of their soybean production (El Mundo). Chavez also points out that Latin America (as has been said since the beginning of the climate change debate) is the home of the world's most significant oxygen producer and South America's water source-the Amazon. Which helps to combat and regulate climate change, and thus, is incentive for the rest of the world to protect Latin America from climate change.
     Group 77's main objective is to get the wealthier nations to renew their commitment to the Kyoto Protocol (expires in 2010) to reduce harmful emissions. In addition to this, they are seeking to enforce the Green Fund that was created in last year's conference in Cancun, to address the needs of those developing countries effected by climate change. "Those who got rich at the expense of sacrificing the global environment must now assume the responsibilities that fit," said Jose Arguello, Argentine negotiator of the G77.
      One of the largest emitters of harmful gases of the Latin American nations is not surprisingly, Brazil, who is choosing to group itself with other more developed developing nations like China, India, and South Africa.
      Another group outside of G77, consisting of other Latin American nations is Los ALBA. Los ALBA is a more ambitious group when it comes to propositions of climate change solutions, and is comprised of the following nations: Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
       In addition to attending this conference and persuading other nations to act on the climate change issue, El Salvador itself is working towards change. This morning a forum was held by the National Energy Council and the National Center for Agricultural Technology in order to suggest and analyse the region's experience with and development of biofuels(DiarioCoLatino). This is a very sensitive topic, especially to Latin Americans, who view bio fuel as a waste of agriculture that should be used as a food source. With that in mind, Rene Magana the Executive Director of the Center, stressed that this development of biofuel will be done with environment and food security in mind. So far the advances of biofuel in Latin America are by no means great. However, a bill is currently being considered which will provide the legal support that is needed for the introduction of a new energy source.