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Note from the editor
Luis Gómez-Echeverri
United Nations Development Programme
Climate change is one of the most serious environmental problems that humanity faces today. According to assessments of the , the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change, developing countries will be the most seriously affected.
Unfortunately however most of these countries are lacking the basic tools, the
institutions and the capacities needed to cope with and mitigate its effects. Furthermore, the dismal condition of poverty and deprivation under which a large
portion of the world’s population lives provides a poor platform on which to
embark on a major attack on climate change.
Many in developing countries will have great difficulty addressing an issue that
may cause a problem for the sustenance of life in some distant future when their
principal concern is the preservation of life today. Given that the benefits of mitigation will not be apparent for years to come, it is understandable that paying the
mitigating costs today is unappealing. This is a great dilemma given that developing countries have a lot to contribute to the solutions. But it is doubtful that they
will do so under the threat of conditionalities or increased burdens. What is more
promising is an agenda that attends to both climate change as well as development
priorities. But the linkages between climate change and development need to be
known and enhanced through positive action. It is often forgotten that projects
that help countries adapt to climate change or to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions can also be instrumental in enhancing good governance and in addressing
poverty reduction and sustainable development priorities of developing countries.
In many cases these linkages are not promoted simply because of a lack of
knowledge. The purpose of this book is to emphasize the linkages and to promote
a development agenda that also addresses climate change concerns. As such, it is a
tribute to those who have already decided that better environmental behavior is
good business, that better land use practices, reforestation, improved watershed
management, and better infrastructure are insurance for a better life, a more productive livelihood, and safer property.
The science of climate change is young and full of uncertainties. The message
of this book is that this is no excuse for promoting good management of resources
and good environmental behavior that in turn results in adaptation to climate
change and mitigation of . The implicit argument is that it will be difficult
to engage most people around the world on the subject of climate change unless
we link it to our daily lives and to our daily economic activities. Furthermore,
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6
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it argues for a strengthened international cooperation system that can help
strengthen these linkages.
While most books concentrate either on the science or on the policy side of climate change, few try to bring issues related to both under one volume as this one.
Thus the decision to present the subject of climate change in a way that brings
together issues of science and the linkages to important aspects of development,
capacity building and technology transfer, as well as policy options.
In the last section, the book focuses on the Latin American region and some of
its challenges and the efforts of the region to cope with the subject of climate
change. This a region with great challenges but also with a great opportunity to do
it right. As it proceeds to make billions of dollars of investments on energy and
technology options in the decades to come, each decision will be a vote either in
favor or against the environment, not only of the region but also of the globe.
Acknowledgements
There are many who have contributed to the process of producing and editing of
this volume, many of whom are not be mentioned here, but will be thanked in
person for their valuable contribution to my environmental education and interests, which in turn have led me to compile and edit this volume.
I would particularly like to thank the following organizations and individuals
for their support in the long months leading to the completion of this volume:
• The Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, which has provided me
the most important inspiration and support throughout my environmental
education.
• James Gustave Speth, former Administrator of the  and current Dean of
the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, who has been a role
model for many of us for his dedication and commitment to the environment.
• Elena Martinez, Assistant Director General and Director, Regional Bureau for
Latin America and the Caribbean of the , whose vision and effective
management is turning  into a regional environmental powerhouse.
• Jane Coppock, Assistant Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, without whose hands-on, intellectual support, and management
this volume would not have been issued.
• Melissa Goodall for her consistent reliability, and for her key role in the production management, brilliant copy-editing work, and effective management
of the editor and contributing authors, without which this volume could have
never been finalized.
• Michael Gucovsky for his constant and effective support in getting this and
many other projects successfully launched and completed.
• Russell Shaddox and the production staff at  of Yale University for enabling
the timely completion of the volume, while maintaining an excellent standard
of quality.
• Gillian Bohrer, whose diligent proofreading and unswerving good cheer helped
to bring this volume one step closer to perfection.