The pace of natural resource exploitation in Latin American and the Caribbean is alarming, unsustainable and worsened by increased illegality in sectors such as forestry, mining, wildlife trafficking and fishing. Given the United States’ reliance on the region for agricultural and mineral imports, adequately managing its resources is critical for the US economy.
This analysis examines the most relevant environmental and energy trends in the Latin American and Caribean region. It included trends that were both challenges (e.g. greater scarcity of water) and solutions (e.g. the rise of sustainable production). The analysis also included trends that were both pan-regional and local, existing and emerging or expected, and trends with either a large or a very small number of players participating.
Five key trends were prioritized based on their potential impact and relevance: increased exploitation of natural resources, increased planetary health issues, increased adoption of climate adaptation, increased access to and use of modern energy sources, expanded use of market-based mechanisms for environmental management and conservation.