Climate change in Suriname is leading to warmer temperatures and moreextreme weather events inSuriname. As a relatively poor country, its contributions to globalclimate change have been limited. Because of the largeforest cover, the country has been running acarbon negative economy since 2014.[4]
Suriname was the second country to update itsNationally Determined Contributions in 2020.[5]
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 therainforest 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 exports are an important part of theeconomy of Suriname,[10] much of which is controlled by the state ownedStaatsolie Maatschappij Suriname. As of January 2020, an American corporation,Apache Corporation, was drilling wells inMaka Central.[11]
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]
90% of Suriname's human activity is on the Northern coast, which is particularly vulnerable tosea level rise andsalt water intrusion.[14]
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]
The greatest risk Suriname faces is the flooding of the rivers. The population is concentrated around major rivers like theSuriname,Commewijne, andMarowijne 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]
The Surinamese government was proactive about updating itsNationally Determined Contributions statement in 2020, second only behind theClimate change in the Marshall Islands.[4] The major commitments included maintenance of forests as acarbon sink, 35%renewable energy by 2030, andsustainable farming and transportation investments.[4]
Medium-range estimates of Arctic carbon emissions could result from moderate climate emission mitigation policies that keep global warming below 3°C (e.g., RCP4.5). This global warming level most closely matches country emissions reduction pledges made for the Paris Climate Agreement...
"The IPCC doesn't make projections about which of these scenarios is more likely, but other researchers and modellers can.The Australian Academy of Science, for instance, released a report last year stating that our current emissions trajectory had us headed for a 3°C warmer world, roughly in line with the middle scenario.Climate Action Tracker predicts 2.5 to 2.9°C of warming based on current policies and action, with pledges and government agreements taking this to 2.1°C.
Climate change by country | |
|---|---|
| Africa | |
| Americas | |
| Asia | |
| Europe | |
| Oceania | |
| Polar regions | |
| Other regions | |
