Climate change in Suriname

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Koppen-Geiger Map SUR present.svg
Köppen climate classification map for Suriname for 1980–2016
Koppen-Geiger Map SUR future.svg
2071–2100 map under the most intense climate change scenario. Mid-range scenarios are currently considered more likely [1] [2] [3]

Climate change in Suriname is leading to warmer temperatures and more extreme weather events in Suriname. As a relatively poor country, its contributions to global climate change have been limited. Because of the large forest cover, the country has been running a carbon negative economy since 2014. [4]

Contents

Suriname was the second country to update its Nationally Determined Contributions in 2020. [5]

Greenhouse gas emissions

Suriname has claimed a net-negative carbon economy since at least 2014. [4] This is in large part because dense forests cover over 93% of the country. [6] Most of the rainforest is still in pristine condition, [7] however it is being threatened by gold mining [8] and logging companies. [9]

Agriculture contributes 40% of the country's emissions. [5]

Petroleum industry

Petroleum exports are an important part of the economy of Suriname, [10] much of which is controlled by the state owned Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname. As of January 2020, an American corporation, Apache Corporation, was drilling wells in Maka Central. [11]

Impacts on the natural environment

Temperature and weather changes

According to the World Bank, temperatures have already increased across the country, with a significant increase in hot weather. [12] Though precipitation has not shown any significant trend changes, [12] projections suggest significant changes in different parts of the country. [13]

Sea level rise

90% of Suriname's human activity is on the Northern coast, which is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and salt water intrusion. [14]

Impacts on people

Economic impacts

Agriculture

Though agriculture is a decreasing part of the total economy of the country, accounting for 9% of GDP in 2012, it is the third largest part of the Surinamese economy employing 15% of the population in 2009. [15] Changing weather and flood events are expect to have significant negative effects on agriculture in the country. [15] 49% of the economic losses of May 2006 floods in Suriname were agricultural. [15]

Health impacts

The greatest risk Suriname faces is the flooding of the rivers. The population is concentrated around major rivers like the Suriname, Commewijne, and Marowijne River in an area a few meters above sea level. [16] In 2006 and 2015, there were majors floods even resulting in deaths. [17] [18]

Mitigation and adaptation

Policies and legislation

The Surinamese government was proactive about updating its Nationally Determined Contributions statement in 2020, second only behind the Climate change in the Marshall Islands. [4] The major commitments included maintenance of forests as a carbon sink, 35% renewable energy by 2030, and sustainable farming and transportation investments. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Suriname</span>

Suriname is located in the northern part of South America and is part of Caribbean South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana. It is mostly covered by tropical rainforest, containing a great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, are increasingly threatened by new development. There is a relatively small population, most of which live along the coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agriculture in Suriname</span>

Agriculture in Suriname is the third largest industry in Suriname, in the economy, employing between 9-15% percent of the workforce, and account for 9% of GDP. Agriculture accounts for 40% of carbon emissions in Suriname, and is an important part of Suriname's policies as part of its Nationally Determined Contributions.

A climate change scenario is a hypothetical future based on a "set of key driving forces". Scenarios explore the long-term effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation. Scenarios help to understand what the future may hold. They can show which decisions will have the most meaningful effects on mitigation and adaptation.

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References

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