Regional Assessments E-mail

In the context of the Regional Visualization and Monitoring System (SERVIR), collaboration implemented by CATHALAC, NASA, and USAID, the following regional assessments contribute to SERVIR’s mission of providing timely information as a regional decision-support tool.

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Implications of Climate Change for Forest Structure and Carbon Storage in the Tropical Zones of Latin America and the Caribbean 

HadCM3 climate change model A2 and B2 scenario results indicate significant changes in the current climate scheme in the Latin America and Caribbean region.  The tropical wet climate zones of Latin America and the Caribbean may be reduced by 57.3% while the tropical moist seasonal zone and the tropical dry zones may increase in coverage.  A potential consequence to be expected is a decrease of  forest carbon stock.Download the full assessment report (.pdf)

 


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Climate Change Impacts on Surface Water in Central  America and Hispaniola

This regional assessment examines the potential impacts of climate change on surface water runoff under a wide range of future precipitation scenarios.  Through a rainfall - runoff model using high resolution interpolated climate change scenarios and a series of data sets, this analysis intends to determine changes in the quantity and to a certain extent quality of water in major watersheds in Central America, Haiti, and Dominican Republic.  The results indicate that there is a general trend for drier rainy seasons, resulting in less surface water availability.  Erosion analysis identifies upper portions of certain watersheds to be more prone to soil loss and locates watersheds with potentially more turbid waters. Download the full assessment report (.pdf)


 

cam_oceano_eng.jpg Sea Surface Temperature Trends in the Caribbean Sea & the Eastern Pacific Ocean
 

Reviewing the past decade's worth of satellite data, this regional assessment aims to understand how the temperatures of the surface of the water off Mesoamerica's coasts (i.e. the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea) have changed over the past decade.  It was demonstrated, through the use of NASA’s Giovanni system, that sea surface temperature across the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean exhibits a high degree of intra-annual variation.  Mean temperatures generally vary between 26 and 29 degrees during the day, and 25.5 and 28.5 during the night. Maximum temperatures, on the other hand, have reached above 35.5 degrees in 2004, a situation which, if exacerbated, will likely lead to bleaching of the region’s coral reefs. Download the full assessment report (.pdf)


 

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Fires in Central America and the Dominican Republic (2001-2010) Date From Satellite - Based Monitoring
 

More than 100,000 fires were detected with information gathered by satellite based platforms between 2001 and 2010 in Central America and Dominican Republic.  Thirty three percent correspond to forest fires, of which 87% occur within protected areas, significantly affecting areas depending on forest products and with great associated biodiversity. Download the full assessment report (.pdf)

 

 


 

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Land Cover Change and Deforestation in Central America 1990-2008
 
 

Results of land cover change analysis indicate annual deforestation rates in Central America around 0.58%, equivalent to a loss of 1,568 km2 per year. Download the full assessment report (.pdf)