Under pressure: effects, impacts, and adaptation to climate change in Latin American and Caribbean water operators
This monograph provides an overview of the various impacts of climate change on the provision of water and sanitation services, as well as the adaptation options available to water operators. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges we face as a society today. Since the beginning of the 20th century, global temperatures have been steadily rising, and the increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events now pose a growing threat to cities. Climate change affects infrastructure services, and, in particular, it has a significant impact on water and sanitation services due to its close relationship with the water cycle.
Using data from the DesInventar database, the document analyzes which events are most prevalent in the sub-regions of Latin America and the Caribbean and which events particularly affect water and sanitation systems. Finally, it presents the results of a survey conducted with 61 water operators in 11 countries in the region. The aim of the survey is to understand the climate change impacts that affect them the most and the measures they are adopting to address climate change and ensure resilience in the services they provide.
The key take-aways of this report include:
- Officials representing water operators were asked, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much they estimated that climate change had affected their company in the last 15 years. The average score in all countries in the sample is above 5 (moderately affected).
- Seventy-five percent of the operators surveyed reported having been affected by droughts, including the Barbados operator (CCB) and 100% of the operators surveyed in CID. In addition, 43% of operators surveyed in the region reported being affected by heat waves.
- Eighty-five percent of the operators surveyed think that extreme weather events are occurring more frequently, and the same percentage also believes that they are occurring with greater intensity .
- Sixty-four percent of the operators surveyed have responded to the effects of climate change by increasing their purchases of chemical inputs for drinking water treatment.
- Fifty-six percent report having made investments in the construction or maintenance of reserve wells, which reaffirms the importance of groundwater sources in the region as a strategic natural asset in dealing with surface water variability in the context of climate change.
- Eighty-nine percent of the operators stated that they carry out information campaigns every year to encourage the rational use of water.