Climate Change in Colombia: Effects and Consequences

Climate change is causing a considerable rise in sea level. As temperatures increase, ocean water expands and glaciers and ice sheets melt, pushing sea levels up. According to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), global mean sea level rose 0.20 m between 1901 and 2018, and a rise of between 0.28 m and 1.01 m is projected by 2100, depending on the emissions scenario.Colombia is highly vulnerable to this rise because of its extensive low-lying areas along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Coastal departments such as Chocó, Córdoba, Bolívar, Valle del Cauca and Atlántico are at risk of losing coastline and seeing their freshwater reserves affected by saltwater intrusion.Coastal erosion is already visible along the Caribbean coast. For example, on the island of Tierra Bomba (Cartagena), residents have lost more than 7 meters of shoreline along a one-kilometer stretch, as reported by El Tiempo (2024): part of the cemetery and about twenty houses are now underwater.

Many processes and phenomena explain land degradation in the country. They include logging, overgrazing, indiscriminate pesticide use, continuous plowing, fires and more. But all of this is intensified by the climate change we are experiencing and the resulting rise in temperatures. This can be seen in the desertification of some parts of the country, where arid and semi-arid lands are becoming degraded. The most exposed departments are La Guajira, Santander, Boyacá, Cauca, Nariño and Tolima.According to IDEAM and the Ministry of Environment (2024), 23.6% of the national territory shows some degree of soil degradation from desertification, of which 1.7% is severe to very severe. In addition, 26.7% of the country consists of arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid zones susceptible to desertification.

The largest decreases are projected in the north of the country (San Andrés and Providencia, Bolívar, Magdalena, Sucre and northern Cesar) and in the Amazon, while rainfall could increase by 10% to 30% in about 14% of the territory, mostly in the Andean region. Higher temperatures will also increase evaporation from reservoirs, which will have to be taken into account in hydropower planning. The climate will also become more extreme, with more intense rainfall and droughts expected. The risk of flooding and other natural events that affect economic activities, such as windstorms and hailstorms, is also expected to increase.

Colombia is a country of enormous biological wealth. However, because of climate change, many of its ecosystems are at high risk. For example, the shrinking of the snow-capped peaks (nevados), and with it the loss of the environmental services they provide, is a cause for concern. The situation of coral reefs is also serious, as rising sea temperatures threaten them along with the biodiversity and fishery resources they support.More: The 2030 SDGs in Colombia Biodiversity in Colombia The main natural resources of Colombia