Honduras is highly vulnerable to climate change, including extreme natural events and slow onset events, such as increasing temperatures or forest degradation, which impact important economic sectors and society, especially poor and vulnerable populations.
In addition, while the country’s contribution to global emissions is relatively low, it has the opportunity to follow a low-carbon development path that could generate economic, social and environmental benefits and foster synergies with climate change adaptation, especially in the agriculture, water, forestry, energy and transport sectors.
Accelerating climate action will enable the country to reduce poverty and inequality, generate jobs, and contribute to more sustainable development, according to the World Bank Group's Honduras Climate and Development Report.
Why is it important to accelerate climate action in Honduras?
Climate change could increase the country's vulnerability due to higher average temperatures, rising sea levels and more intense extreme weather events.
The agricultural sector will suffer reductions in productivity due to climate change. Droughts, floods and their variability would not only contribute to reducing food vulnerability, but would also increase food prices. Corn, coffee, beans and sugarcane will be strongly affected.
Climate change also threatens critical ecosystems, such as mangroves, coral reefs, forests and fisheries, all of which are important for livelihoods and tourism.
More than 60 percent of the road network is currently exposed to natural hazards, and these could increase, severely impacting the connectivity and accessibility of rural areas and causing them to lose access to essential services and markets more frequently.
The energy sector holds great synergic potential through energy efficiency measures and investments in renewable sources
Honduras' opportunities for resilient, low-carbon development
The World Bank Group's Country Climate and Development Report for Honduras provides policy recommendations for the country to achieve resilient, equitable, and people-centered development. The report notes that economic growth and adaptation investments must be aligned with resilience and social protection policies to achieve effective poverty reduction. Long-term policy solutions must also increase household resilience.
The Climate and Development Report highlights other areas of opportunity such as boosting the blue economy, investments in energy and transport sectors, as well as the development of climate-smart agriculture to increase productivity, reduce emissions and diversify the economy.
Discover the report to learn about Honduras' opportunities and potential for more inclusive and resilient development. Download the report here.
