Although Latin America and the Caribbean's energy sector accounts for a marginal share of global greenhouse gas emissions, its infrastructure faces growing vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Extreme events such as floods, droughts, rising sea levels, or wind gusts can compromise the structural integrity and productivity of this infrastructure, putting countries' energy security and economic stability at risk.
With financial support from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and technical assistance from the Tecnalia Foundation, OLACDE is carrying out the project "Energy planning with climate change-related risk assessment," which evaluates the vulnerability, potential impact, and risk associated with climate change on existing and planned energy infrastructure in five countries in the region — Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay — with a view to proposing adaptation measures through a 2050 horizon. Each country selected, based on its own criteria and priorities, the energy sector facilities considered most vulnerable to extreme climate events, spanning a wide range of infrastructure: hydroelectric plants, solar and wind farms, gas terminals, coal-fired power complexes, and transmission and distribution systems, among others.
The session will bring together representatives from the five beneficiary countries, along with OLACDE and AECID, to present and discuss the results of the case studies developed in each country. The space aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience around the climate risk assessment methodologies applied, helping to strengthen regional energy planning in the face of the challenges posed by climate change.
