United Nations Environment Programme
Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean
Division of Communications and Public Information
COUNTRIES FACTSHEET
Latin America and the Caribbean - Atlas of our changing environment shows, through
images, the environmental changes being experienced by countries in the Latin American
and Caribbean region. The publication also examines specific cases, showing how a
given area has evolved over time. Following are some of the principal issues identified in
the countries of the region:
Antigua and Barbuda: Among the countries most prone to natural disasters are seven
Caribbean countries. For 2008, Antigua and Barbuda ranked1 among the top ten
countries in terms of the percentage of affected people (deaths and injuries). Case Study:
St. John's.
Argentina: With over 80% of productive activities being in agriculture, livestock and
forestry, land degradation and deforestation are increasing. Currently, more than 60
million hectares are subject to soil erosion that ranges from mild to severe. Forest cover
represented barely 10.3% of the country’s total territory in 2006, nearly putting it on the
list of nations with low forest cover, as defined by FAO. Case Study: Upsala Glacier,
Aimogasta, Salta and Pico Truncado.
Bahamas: The coasts of the Bahamas show varying degrees of erosion, resulting from
construction atop sand dunes and the shifting of dunes, as well as from mangrove
deforestation carried out for purposes of urban development and tourism. Sixty-nine point
nine percent of the population is concentrated in the capital. Case Study: New
Providence.
Barbados: This is one of the most densely populated islands in the Western Hemisphere
(600 inhabitants/km2). This fact, in combination with the island's natural conditions,
exacerbates soil degradation and solid-waste accumulation, which has increased by 300%
in the period between 1994 and 2005. Case Study: Saint Lucy.
Belize: Belize’s coral reefs, which contribute US$250 million per year to the country’s
economy, are experiencing significant pressure, due primarily to overfishing. This is
being intensified by unsustainable coastal development, a poorly controlled tourist
industry and an expansion of the agricultural frontier. Case Study: Belize City.
Bolivia: Mining is one of the country’s most important economic activities and one of the
greatest causes of environmental degradation. The main sources of pollution from mining
1
Rodríguez J., Vos, F., Below, R. and Guha-Sapir, D. (2009) Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2008: The
numbers and trends. http://www.cred.be/sites/default/files/ADSR_2008.pdf.
activities relate to water use and the release of toxic substances into nearby rivers and
streams. Case study: Trinidad, Pando and Santa Cruz.
Brazil: The areas prone to desertification in the Northeast constitute approximately 1.34
million km2, home to some 30 million people. Of this total area, 180,000 km2 are
experiencing serious or very serious desertification2. Gilbués (Piauí), Irauçuba (Ceará),
Seridó (Paraíba/Rio Grande do Norte) and Cabrobó (Pernambuco) have been identified as
the four core areas of desertification. Despite a reduction in the rate of deforestation in
the Amazon (from 27,772 km2/year in 2004 to 7,464 km2/year in 2009), this area and
others have alarming levels of deforestation. Between 2002 and 2008, 110,068 km2 were
deforested in the Brazilian Amazon, 85,074 km2 in the Cerrado, 16,576 km2 in the
Caatinga, and 4,279 km2 in the Pantanal.2 Case study: Rondonia, Rio Grande do Sul,
Balbina and Manaus.
Chile: The country’s glaciers are melting. Chile has the greatest number of glaciers in
South America, comprising an area of approximately 22,000 km2 and supplying water to
70% of the population. In a sample of 100 glaciers, 87% were clearly seen to have
retreated, 7% were stable and only 6% had advanced. Case study: Santiago, O'Higgins
Glacier, La Escondida, Atacama.
Colombia: The majority of Colombia’s bodies of water show some level of pollution,
caused mainly by human activities, such as the discharge of untreated wastewater from
households and industrial facilities, as well as pollution resulting from agricultural
production (pesticides and fertilizers) and livestock activities. Among the world’s
countries, Colombia has one of the largest supplies of natural water. Case studies using
satellite imagery: Armero, the Amazon and La Guajira.
Costa Rica: Rates of population growth and deforestation in Costa Rica’s Central Valley
are among the highest in the world. In a span of 50 years, the population increased
fivefold; during the same period, 11,000 km2 of forest were logged, constituting a fifth of
the country’s continental territory. The Greater Metropolitan Area, which represents only
4% of the country’s land area, accounts for 50% of its population. Case studies using
satellite imagery: Greater Metropolitan Area.
Cuba: Changes in land use, along with the use of agricultural techniques that disregard
the need for conservation, among other factors, are degrading the island’s soils. Sixty
percent of the country’s land surface is affected by one or more factors that can lead to
desertification. However, the area covered by forests has risen from 18.7% in 1990 to
24.7% in 2005. Case study using satellite imagery: Moa.
Dominica: Dominica's coasts are being degraded as a result of hurricanes, as well as from
sand extraction, mass tourism, building construction and dams located close to the sea.
Case study using satellite imagery: Roseau.
2
MMA, Universidade Federal da Paraíba and UNESCO (2007). Atlas das áreas susceptíveis à desertificação do
Brasil. Brasilia. 134 pp.
Dominican Republic: Surface-water and groundwater sources are undergoing a process of
accelerated degradation. Rapid population growth has increased water consumption.
Consumption in Santo Domingo rose from 54 m3/person/year to 82.8 m3/person/year in
just four years (2002-2005). Case study using satellite imagery: Jimaní.
Ecuador: Deforestation is causing the disappearance, annually, of between 140,000 and
300,000 hectares of forest3. Seventy percent of coastal forests have undergone changes,
making this one of the most dramatic cases of mass extinctions of plant species as a result
of deforestation. Case studies using satellite imagery: the Amazon, Cotopaxi Glacier and
the Gulf of Guayaquil.
El Salvador: Air, soil and water pollution is one of the main problems in El Salvador,
where the urban areas alone generate 3,187 tons per day of solid waste, with 95% of
sewage being discharged untreated into bodies of water. Ninety percent of the water has
high levels of chemical and biological contamination. Case studies using satellite
imagery: Cerrón Grande and San Salvador.
Granada: Overfishing and coastal development are degrading Granada’s 160 km of reefs.
Rising sea levels also appear to be affecting the breeding patterns of 17 demersal fish
species, which account for 43% of the country’s total fish catch. Case study using
satellite imagery: Point Salines.
Guatemala: Deforestation is one of the greatest environmental problem in the country.
The percentage of land area covered by forests decreased from 43.8% in 1990 to 36.3%
in 2005. In addition, diseases caused by water pollution remain a major health problem.
Case studies using satellite imagery: Guatemala-Belize border, Lake Atitlan and Lake
Lachuá.
Guyana: Seventy-seven percent of the population of this country lives within 100 km of
the coast, which accounts for approximately 7% of its total area. Much of the coastal
forest cover has been lost due to mining, agriculture and human settlements. Case study
using satellite imagery: Omai.
Haiti: Natural disasters, such as the earthquake of January 2010, are having a strong
impact on the country’s future development. In addition, the already low levels of forest
cover are continuing to decline. The unparalleled deforestation that has occurred
throughout the country’s history has reduced forest cover to only 3.8%, compared with
the estimated 85% coverage that originally existed. Case studies using satellite imagery:
Dominican Republic-Haiti border, Port-au-Prince and Lake Peligre.
Honduras: Less than 10% of water demand (about 1.9 billion m3/year) is supplied by
groundwater and other surface-water resources. Aquifers located 150 meters underground
support many communities, especially in urban areas, and are on the brink of
overexploitation, with their water quality threatened by domestic and industrial pollution.
3
UNEP, FLACSO and MAE (2008). GEO Ecuador 2008. Informe sobre el estado del medio ambiente
http://www.pnuma.org/deat1/pdf/GEO%20Ecuador%202008.pdf.
Case study using satellite imagery: Gulf of Fonseca.
Jamaica: This country is the world’s ninth largest producer of bauxite, accounting for
approximately 4% of global production in 2009. However, this vital facet of the country's
economy causes serious environmental problems as a result of the disposal of mining
waste. The 4 million tons of aluminum oxide produced annually generate an equal
number of tons of waste (sludge). Case study using satellite imagery: Portland Bight
Protected Area.
Mexico: Increased population, consumption patterns, urbanization and the overexploitation of resources and their distribution are causing strong pressure on the quality
and availability of water resources in the country. Due to population growth, per capita
water availability has fallen dramatically, from 17,742 m3 in 1950 to an estimated 4,210
m3 in 2010. Case studies using satellite imagery: Metropolitan Area of the Valley of
Mexico, Lake Chapala, Cancun and the Selva Maya rainforest.
Nicaragua: Over a period of 17 years, Nicaragua lost 27% of its forests. The expansion of
the agricultural frontier, cattle ranching, selective logging of commercially valuable
timber, use of fuelwood as an energy source and mining are the main causes of
deforestation in the country. The current deforestation rate is 75,000 hectares per year.
Case studies using satellite imagery: Tipitapa and New Guinea.
Panama: More than 130,000 hectares of Panama’s land have been given over, in the form
of concessions, to the exploration and development of metal mining, with an additional
approximately 187,000 hectares taken up by non-metallic mining. Some of these
concessions are located in environmentally and socially vulnerable areas, and may
endanger biodiversity, water and forests, as well as the quality of life of the areas’
inhabitants. Case studies using satellite imagery: Parita Bay and Darien.
Paraguay: The overuse of land for agriculture, beyond the point that would allow for
natural regeneration, has reduced the agricultural productivity of soils and significantly
increased the vulnerability of rural ecosystems. Between a quarter and a third of the
country’s territory currently consists of semi-arid regions, with the western region being
at high risk of desertification. Case studies using satellite imagery: San Pedro, Ciudad del
Este, El Chaco and the Yacyretá hydroelectric facility.
Peru: It is believed that Peru’s marine fish population is being overexploited by 30%;
since the 1990s, there has been a sharp increase in the catch of certain species and a
severe decline in the corresponding biomass. The Peruvian sea is one of the most
abundant resources of the Pacific Rim and of the world. Peru ranks second, after China,
in fish catches. Case studies using satellite imagery: Pucallpa, Cerro de Pasco, Lima and
Madre de Dios.
Saint Kitts and Nevis: Coastal development, pollution and pressure from fishing are
accelerating coastal and marine degradation. The threat index for coral reefs endangered
by human activities is high for 77% of the reefs, and very high for the other 23%. Case
study using satellite imagery: Nevis.
St. Lucia: Approximately 82% of reefs on the north coast are dead or badly damaged. A
mass bleaching event affected between 50% and 80% of the island’s corals in 2005. Case
study using satellite imagery: Castries Waterworks Forest Reserve.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: With very limited freshwater resources, the main
pollution of the nation’s waters comes from chemicals and wastewater generated, in part,
by increased tourism. In 2002, there were 42,500 tons of waste, of which 2,500 tons
consisted of industrial waste and 37,800 tons of municipal waste. Case study using
satellite imagery: Union Island.
Suriname: Illegal or excessive trade in wildlife is a growing problem in a country where
such trade is an important source of income, taxes and jobs. Suriname’s psittacine trade,
including macaws, parakeets and various species of parrots, as well as its trade in reptiles
(iguanas and turtles) and amphibians (exotic frogs), is directed primarily at the Guyanas
and Europe. Case studies using satellite imagery: Moengo and Paramaribo.
Trinidad and Tobago: The production of oil and natural gas by the Caribbean’s leading
producer, with the sector accounting for 40% of the country’s GDP and 80% of its
exports, is generating a large volume of toxic waste and is causing extensive
environmental pollution. The per capita levels of CO2 emissions for the two islands
(27.88 tons in 2006) is the highest of the Latin American and Caribbean region. Case
study using satellite imagery: Point Lisas.
Uruguay: Since 1987, when the law began promoting tree farming, natural fields
dedicated to livestock raising have been replaced by industrial plantations consisting
primarily of pine and eucalyptus. Between 1990 and 2004, the area covered by forest
plantations increased by 1,600%, strongly affecting natural grassland ecosystems. Case
study using satellite imagery: Tacuarembó.
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela: In this country, which is rich in oil and minerals (iron,
bauxite, gold, coal, diamonds and magnesium), mining is leading to atmospheric and soil
pollution, degradation of the landscape, soil loss and deforestation. Petroleos de
Venezuela and the Corporación Venezolana de Guayana report an estimated 600,000
tons of annual waste emissions. Of this total, 50% is caused by the petroleum,
petrochemical and iron and aluminum mining industries. Case study using satellite
imagery: Lake Maracaibo.