REAP country case studies: Guatemala
This is an in-depth analysis of the enabling environment for early action in Guatemala. Guatemala has long been vulnerable to climate and geophysical hazards which includes earthquakes, volcanic activity, floods, hurricanes, storms, and landslides. According to post-disaster needs assessments, between 1975 and 2015, severe events caused damage and losses of US$ 9,148 million, of which 58 percent correspond to hydrometeorological events (World Bank et al, 2017). This high exposure, along with unplanned urban growth and high levels of poverty, placed Guatemala as the ninth most vulnerable country according to the 2016 Global Climate Risk Index, for the last 20 years. According to the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, 83.3 percent of the country’s GDP is located within areas of risk. Guatemala's location between the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean makes it a target for hurricanes on both coasts.
The paper concludes that preventing migration and stamping out corruption in Central America has also been on the political agenda of the Biden administration in the United States35. It was proposed that Vice President Kamala Harris oversee a proposed US$4 billion effort to tackle “root causes” of migration, starting in Guatemala. Improved climate information services, tailored, comprehensive information that farmers can use, in a language that is understandable, to manage agricultural risk and forecast seasonal changes. Being able to anticipate droughts or floods could enable communities to make more informed decisions, maximize crop production, and improve food security—all of which could affect their propensity to migrate.