RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence of the United States (ODNI), Colombia is on the list of the 11 countries most vulnerable to the “physical effects of climate change” because they do not have “the capacity to adapt” to this phenomenon.
“There will likely be increasingly hotter temperatures, extreme weather incidents, and disruptions in ocean patterns that will threaten their energy, food, water, and health security,” warns the ODNI.
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In addition, a study by the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam) called ‘Indicators of extreme events in climate change scenarios for the period 2011-2040′, points out that although it is complex to make a diagnosis due to the type of climate that the country has the most likely thing is that in some areas temperatures will increase significantly while in areas such as the center and southwest of the country these will decrease.
According to the doctor in meteorology and director of the group Weather, Climate and Society of the National University, José Daniel Pabón, quoted by El Tiempo, the climatic future of the country is associated with the different regions, for two reasons, the first one because not all areas of the country will be affected equally by these phenomena, and the second one because their mitigation depends on the measures taken by each territory.
In this sense, he warns that new phenomena will not appear, but existing ones, such as La Niña and El Niño, will intensify, especially in coastal and hot climate areas (Caribbean and Pacific).
“It is not that a phenomenon appears because there is climate change, no. The phenomena are occurring. The phenomena have been occurring, but they will be more or less frequent and more or less intense,” the expert noted.
Even though the outlook is not very favorable, Pabón recommends that all regions begin to implement policies and activities to avoid and mitigate the effects of climate change.
“Since climate change is occurring and will have some impacts, what we must do is to act with adaptation in the territories. Knowing that the climate is going to change, we need these territories to adapt to new conditions to strengthen the communities so that they can adjust to the conditions so that the impacts are not so strong,” he said.
Colombia launches platform to analyze the effects of climate change
To prepare strategies to face the impact of climate change in Colombia, the Ministry of Environment launched the ‘Tool for Climate Action’, a digital platform that will provide data on the future climate and the vulnerability and risk to which the different regions of the country will be exposed.
According to the portfolio, the platform will not only allow territorial entities to incorporate the effects of climate change into their Land Management Plan (POT). Still, it will also guide them in making decisions in each of the regions to anticipate the challenges of this phenomenon.
Those interested in consulting the tool may do so through this link. They will find information on the territorial profile at the departmental level, a catalog of adaptation measures, climate risk management, and GHG mitigation.