Mario Marcos do Espirito Santo and
Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa
CRN2-021, Tropi-Dry: Human and Biophysical Dimensions of
Tropical Dry Forests
Differential Response of
Tropical Dry Forests to
Climate Change
After Sanchez-Azofeifa et al. Under Review
Not for distribution
Water in Dry Forests
• Climate Change: Drought will contribute to desertification processes and
therefore reductions on both minimum ecological discharges and also water
available for human consumption. This will be significant in northern
Mexico and northeast brazil.
• Tourism Development (Mexico and Costa Rica): Environmental
conflicts between large tourism developments and local communities are
emerging as a results of competing interests. Challenges reaching the
constitutional court of Costa Rica of local communities against large hotel
chains that increase water consumption are becoming the norm rather than
the exception.
• Ecology vs. Crop development: As climate change effects and economic
development increase, conflicts between biodiversity conservation and crop
development are starting to be significant. Social conflicts in the Pacific
Coast of Mexico (Jalisco) are starting to be significant.
Water Effects: Brazil
• The Tropi-Dry study sites in Brazil: semi-arid
region vulnerable to desertification;
• The Jaíba Project: largest irrigated perimeter in
Latin America, with investments of US$ 500
million;
• Transposition of the São Francisco river:
unknown consequences;
Water availability: 2-10 litters
per second
Hydric deficit: 400 mm per year
Water flux: 4.5 litters/sec/km2
Balance use x availability (% of river
extension)
Warning
Critical
Very critical
Confortable
Excelent