Cambio climático

Since the publication of the Fifth Assessment Report of the lPCC in 2014, human influence on the climate is clearly established as well as the negative effects of our activities on climate change. Developing countries are the most sensitive to its effects, for several reasons: their economies depend heavily on climate-vulnerable sectors, such as agriculture, forestry and hydroelectric energy. Furthermore, for economic reasons, they are less able to cope with the impacts of extreme weather conditions. In the world, the populations most exposed to the impact of environmental change are those who live in cities. In Latin America and the Caribbean, a region highly exposed to the effects of climate change due to its geographical location, cities concentrate around 80% of the population, much more than the world average. There, approximately 90% of economic activities are handled in cities and, as in other cities in the world, most of the greenhouse gases are emitted.

In this context, the purpose of this multidisciplinary collective work is to observe cities at different scales throughout Latin America, to analyze both their specific problems and the good practices that are developed in many cities, whether they come from public policies (top-down ) or civil society (bottom-up). The 25 chapters, in English or Spanish, written by nearly 60 specialists from around the world, highlight common challenges, obstacles to overcome, experiences, sometimes solutions. Above all, they provide clues to share, learn, transfer and continue improving responses, in Latin America and beyond. There are many reasons to worry, but there are reasons to be hopeful, too. The work demonstrates that scientific knowledge exists, but that it needs to be disseminated much more and effectively in order to educate and inform all interested parties, from citizens to politicians. This is the time for action, and this work aspires to become an instrument to develop truly effective policies to mitigate and adapt to climate change.