Climate change impacts in Mexico
Climate change impacts in Mexico - what the IPCC 4th Assessment Report has found:
- Replacement of tropical forest by savannas is expected in the tropical forests of central and southern Mexico, along with replacement of semi-arid by arid vegetation in most of central and northern Mexico due to synergistic effects of both land use and climate changes (medium confidence) [13.4.1]. In tropical forests, species extinctions are likely [3.4, 13.4].
- 2-18% of the mammals, 2-8% of the birds and 1-11% of the butterflies committed to extinction with temperature increase of 1.3-3°C above pre-industrial levels [Table 4.1].
- Coastal vegetated wetlands are sensitive to climate change and long-term sea-level change. Regionally losses would be most severe on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of North and Central America, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Baltic and most small island regions due to their low tidal range [6.4.1.4]
The Mesoamerican Reef – a priority ecoregion for WWF’s work worldwide – covers a large territory from the Bay Islands in the north of Honduras to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, including the Guatemalan and Belizean coasts. However, natural resources in some of the area’s crucial protected areas are often poorly managed.
WWF work
What WWF is doing on the ground in Mexico to protect against climate change:
