More than 30% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is exposed to risks from droughts, floods, heat waves, and other natural phenomena exacerbated by climate change, according to estimates released by the UNDP.
In the Caribbean region, the annual average of extreme weather events rose from 5.2 in the period 1963-1999 to 10.7 in the period between 2000 and 2023, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) illustrated in its threat assessment.
As the frequency increases, the “impacts will become increasingly nuanced, complex, and interrelated,” the agency warned in a 2025 report entitled Under Pressure: Recalibrating the Future of Development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Between 2022 and 2023 alone, wildfires caused by intense droughts affected nearly 400 million hectares, an area comparable to the combined size of Argentina and Chile, the research illustrated. Its statistics suggested a correlation between environmental degradation and the increase in pre-existing socioeconomic inequalities.
"One of the fundamental challenges is to ensure that climate resilience is not limited to wealthier countries or communities that can afford adaptation, as this would further exacerbate inequalities and intensify the effects of the climate crisis on the most vulnerable," the United Nations agency concluded.
Resilience, it recommended, should be understood not as a byproduct of growth, poverty reduction, or adaptation to climate change, but as a central element of states' development strategies.
For its part, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) warned that the crises under analysis undermine the region's capacity to increase the production of goods and services, reduce productivity, and widen income inequality.
In this regard, it drew attention to the "vicious cycle" created by the economic costs associated with climate change and biodiversity loss, the increasing burden of additional debt (which further constrains fiscal space), and the inability to obtain financing on favorable terms.
In the study—dedicated to the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—the agency also argued that the transition to more sustainable, low-carbon economies requires "a productive and structural transformation of unprecedented scope and speed" in Latin America and the Caribbean.
This implies, among other things, investing in dynamic sectors such as the energy transition, the circular economy, mobility, and sustainable tourism, it explained.
Therefore, it is essential to link compliance with the SDGs with the actions needed to end "the development traps" that perpetuate the region's problems, advised the organization, whose permanent headquarters are located in the capital of Chile.
Under the auspices of ECLAC, the ninth meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development will take place soon. This annual dialogue aims to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Government representatives, civil society, academia, and the private sector have been invited to the event, which will be held from April 13 to 16 in Santiago, Chile, to promote the exchange of experiences, best practices, and peer cooperation.
Judging by current events, it is unlikely that Latin America and the Caribbean will reach 2030 with most of its goals achieved. Furthermore, significant disparities persist among the subregions and their member countries, according to United Nations data.
According to experts, the financing gap remains a key obstacle, given limited public investment and insufficient international cooperation flows.
At the 2025 edition of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development, the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, urged a redoubling of efforts on all fronts.
"We are at a juncture that requires a sense of urgency and bold action," said the official, defending the 2030 Agenda, which is threatened by multiple factors, including geopolitical clashes, the arms race, slow economic growth and international trade, external debt, the resurgence of protectionist trends, and the ravages of climate change.
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