Resource information
This country note briefly summarizes
information relevant to both climate change and agriculture
in El Salvador, with focus on policy developments (including
action plans and programs) and institutional make-up. Like
most countries in Latin America, El Salvador has submitted
one national communication to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with a second one
under preparation. According to the national greenhouse
gases (GHG) inventory (2000), land use change and forestry
(LUCF) is the second largest contributor to GHG emissions in
the country, after the energy sector. The emission reduction
potential of the sector is large. El Salvador counts with
six clean development mechanism (CDM) projects, none of
which are in the agricultural sector. It is estimated that
Central America produces less than 0.5 percent of global
carbon emissions, but it is one the most vulnerable regions
to climate change related impacts on the planet. Agriculture
is highly vulnerable to climate variability and to observed
climate change, this coupled with problems of land
degradation in the country. A greater emphasis on recovering
deforested or agricultural lands, reducing land degradation,
reforestation and developing and applying adequate insurance
mechanisms can be placed for better management of public
resources in light of natural disasters in the agriculture sector.
