Image Courtesy of NBC News
By Catalina Fazio Belán
Climate change has been recognised as a global challenge that must be urgently addressed to avoid - or at the very least minimise - irreparable damage to the environment which would have grave consequences for all living beings. Even though the whole region of Latin America, similar to the rest of the world, is already suffering the impact of climate change, state leaders and companies have failed to act effectively to limit the damage. My purpose in this article is to explore the latest effects of climate change in the region, focusing on the southernmost part of the Americas, arguing that it is imperative that states tackle the issue.
Due to global warming, temperatures have shifted at most times of the year. Winters are slightly warmer, and summers are hotter. January in South America is known as the peak of summer, but unprecedented temperatures were recorded in several parts of the southernmost states of the region, particularly Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. A heat wave in mid-January logged a first-time record in the southern Argentinian city of Córdoba, as temperatures rose up to 42.5°C. Other areas in Argentina reached between 45°C and 47°C. The heat wave lasted over a week, but high temperatures of 35°C were common throughout the entire month in some cities. According to certain meteorologists, the high temperatures are caused by a mass of hot and dry air above Argentina and southern Brazil, while Brazil’s northern regions have been subjected to heavy rainfall, unusual for the time of year. These environmental changes have had dire consequences beyond human discomfort. The heat has exacerbated the decade-long droughts in both Chile and Argentina, creating a water crisis in human and animal consumption, agriculture, and other sectors. Furthermore, this January in Argentina, the lack of water and increasing heat created pressure on an already fragile electric system, occasionally leading the capital city of Buenos Aires to lose its power. It is likely that coming years will see continued high temperatures, and South American governments must prepare for it by placing the necessary measures.
Furthermore, there has been an increase in fires both worldwide and in the region. One of the factors that contributes to it is the previously explained persistence of hot and dry air due to climate change in South America. For example, the increased temperatures played a crucial factor in fires in Paysandú, Uruguay at the beginning of 2022 in what has been denominated as the biggest fire in the country’s history. Approximately thirty-seven thousand hectares went up in flames. Moreover, illegal deforestation for agricultural purposes has accelerated the climate emergency. Fires in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest have increased, on average, by 45% in the last decade. Not only does this harm biodiversity and both endemic and keystone species, but the unsustainable burning prevents the rainforest from recovering and regrowing long term. Furthermore, deliberate fires are often caused to replace native forests for other species that have a faster growth rate, or to promote agriculture, and therefore be more profitable for companies that use the resource. As long as governments encourage (or turn a blind eye towards) the burning, it is very hard to deter them from doing so as they face no sanctions – on the contrary, they may even be rewarded by corrupt and capital-driven governments. This becomes a challenge as state sovereignty in many cases, particularly in South America (see the example of the Bolsonaro administration ordering the Amazon fires) makes it nearly impossible for other actors to take charge.
Climate change is truly a transnational challenge, which can be evidenced by the fact that natural disasters in other parts of the world may have an unforeseeable consequences elsewhere. This can be seen in the events of the 15th of January, as the ripple effects from a tsunami tide in Tonga (Oceania) reached the Peruvian coast and “turned over” nearly 12.000 barrels of oil into the Pacific Ocean, dying the water black. The company in charge of the barrels, Repsol, attempted to minimise the damage and failed to quickly act to revert the damage done in the ocean. The cleaning operations even sparked protests over the inefficiency and lack of responsibility of Repsol, and the government turned to the U.S. and the U.N. for expert help. Marine biologist Yuri Hooker explains the three levels of consequences that the oil spill will cause in the environment. First, the fauna will be gravely impacted as animals may be covered in oil, which destroys the water-resistant capacity of bird feathers and sea-mammals’ fur, exposing them to the elements. Oil can smother small fish, preventing them from breathing, thus decimating food sources for other species, potentially even causing an imbalance within the ecosystem. Second, the coastal area has many organisms that are unable to move (such as mussels and similar crustaceans) and therefore cannot escape the oil. Finally, the density of the oil will gradually push it further towards the deep end of the ocean where it could stick to sand, algae, and others. Another dimension to be considered is humans: local fishermen been trying to establish a pattern of sustainable fishing to protect the ocean biodiversity. The spill is considered to be a significant step back from the burgeoning progress - not only causing its own problems, but preventing the success of other climate initiatives. The Peruvian government catalogued this spill as the worst environmental emergency of recent times and is asking Repsol to pay a sanction for their terrible management of the situation.
The transnationalism of the climate emergency demonstrates that collective state action would be, the ideal manner of approaching the situation. Climate change does not impact any country individually – and with the example of Tonga and Peru, what happens on one side of the ocean can easily affect the other. It is essential for governments to act as one, but given the current lack of coordination, we can only wonder how much pressure will have to be applied before they choose to come to an agreement.
Catalina Fazio Belán is a Chilean first-year International Relations BA student at King's College London. She is passionate about Latin American politics and current affairs.
