For World Cities Day on 31st October, we follow the story of how the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is working with San Salvador city and its surrounding coffee farms to create a ‘natural’ defence against floods.
The Maya population in Belize, like millions of Central Americans, decides when to cut, burn, and plant their crops based on experience as to when seasonal rains will begin, and misjudgements can be catastrophic (Rodríguez et al., 2015). Maize, the staple crop of Maya farmers, is already grown near its temperature and moisture threshold, making it highly vulnerable to warm and drought episodes (Richardson, 2009). Climate change means more frequent drought, floods, and destructive storms and less predictable precipitation seasonality.
“It was angry. That's what it sounded like to me. When the roof came off, there were these horrible screeches, this horrible noise. It was devastating, and we all had to run.”
Primrose Thomas’ home was destroyed along with 90 percent of the houses and buildings in Barbuda. Powerful hurricanes washed away coastal villages and pristine beaches, carrying off the belongings and life memories of thousands of people here and across the Caribbean.
This report quantifies – and offers concrete evidence of – the co-benefits that can be obtained by implementing the climate agenda in coordination with the sustainable development agenda in Mexico. It measures six priority co-benefits resulting from the implementation of three current and two potential Mexican NDC commitments, and was carried out on behalf of GIZ Mexico and the Mexican Office of the Presidency (OPR).