Climate change in Suriname
Climate change in Suriname is leading to warmer temperatures and more extreme weather events in Suriname. As a relatively poor country, its contributions to global climate change have been limited. Because of the large forest cover, the country has been running a carbon negative economy since 2014.[1]
Suriname was the second country to update its
Greenhouse gas emissions
Suriname has claimed a net-negative carbon economy since at least 2014.[1] This is in large part because dense forests cover over 93% of the country.[3] Most of the rainforest is still in pristine condition,[4] however it is being threatened by gold mining[5] and logging companies.[6]
Agriculture contributes 40% of the country's emissions.[2]
Petroleum industry
Impacts on the natural environment
Temperature and weather changes
According to the World Bank, temperatures have already increased across the country, with a significant increase in hot weather.[9] Though precipitation has not shown any significant trend changes,[9] projections suggest significant changes in different parts of the country.[10]
Sea level rise
90% of Suriname's human activity is on the Northern coast, which is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and salt water intrusion.[11]
Impacts on people
Economic impacts
Agriculture
Though agriculture is a decreasing part of the total economy of the country, accounting for 9% of GDP in 2012, it is the third largest part of the Surinamese economy employing 15% of the population in 2009.[12] Changing weather and flood events are expect to have significant negative effects on agriculture in the country.[12] 49% of the economic losses of May 2006 floods in Suriname were agricultural.[12]
Health impacts
The greatest risk Suriname faces is the flooding of the rivers. The population is concentrated around major rivers like the
Mitigation and adaptation
Policies and legislation
The Surinamese government was proactive about updating its
References
- ^ a b c d "Suriname's climate promise, for a sustainable future". UN News. 2020-01-31. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ a b "Suriname's Second National Communication - In Progress | UNDP Climate Change Adaptation". www.adaptation-undp.org. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ "Suriname's climate promise, for a sustainable future". UN News. 2020-01-31. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ "Central Suriname Nature Reserve". Unesco. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ "Een weg komt nooit alleen" (PDF). University of Amsterdam (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 June 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Wanze Eduards and S. Hugo Jabini. Suriname Forests". Goldman Environmental Prize. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ "Suriname | UNDP Climate Change Adaptation". www.adaptation-undp.org. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ Blum, Jordan (2020-01-22). "Climate change also poses a threat to oil's exploration budgets, report finds". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ a b "Historical Climate Data Suriname". climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org. Archived from the original on 2020-06-07. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ "Climate Data Projects Suriname". climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org. Archived from the original on 2020-06-07. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ "Suriname's Second National Communication - In Progress | UNDP Climate Change Adaptation". www.adaptation-undp.org. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ a b c "Impacts on Agriculture". Climate Change Knowledge Portal. World Bank. Archived from the original on 2020-06-07. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ "Over 350,000 Surinamese to benefit from flood risk management". Prevention Web. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
- ^ "'Doden als gevolg overstromingen Suriname'". nu.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ "Wateroverlast in Suriname door zware regen". Waterkant (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 June 2020.