Climate change in Honduras facts for kids
Climate change in Honduras is a big problem for Honduras. It's one of the countries most at risk from the changing climate. Things like floods, mudslides, tropical storms, and hurricanes are expected to happen more often as the climate changes. Many people in Honduras work in farming, and their crops are affected by rising temperatures and less rain. This can make it hard for families to get enough food and clean water. Climate change also threatens the homes of many animals and plants.
Contents
What Causes Climate Change?
Honduras produces only a tiny amount of the gases that cause climate change, about 0.1 percent of the world's total. These gases are called greenhouse gas emissions.
How Nature is Affected
Changing Weather
The weather in Honduras is changing. Temperatures are getting warmer, and rainfall patterns are shifting. This means some places might get too much rain, causing floods, while others might not get enough, leading to droughts.
Animal Homes
Climate change affects animals and their homes, also known as ecosystems. For example, there's a special freshwater creature called the chortiheros wesseli. It lives in only a few places in Honduras. As the climate changes, its home might become unsuitable, and it might not be able to find another place to live nearby.
This creature needs specific things in its river home, like the width of the river, the type of mud at the bottom, and the water's depth. All these things can change quickly with a changing climate. Scientists believe that climate change will make it harder for the chortiheros wesseli to survive. This could also affect what it eats and what eats it, changing the whole food web. Many Freshwater ecosystems are in danger because of climate change, even in areas that are protected.
In 2013, a type of insect called a bark beetle caused a lot of damage. It destroyed about a quarter of all the forests in Honduras.
How People are Affected
Money and Jobs
Honduras is one of the poorer countries in Latin America. This makes it even harder for people to deal with the effects of climate change, like getting clean water, good sanitation, and enough food. Some groups of people are more at risk, like children, older people, and native communities. When their homes and health are affected, it has a big impact on their families.
Natural disasters are common in Central America, including Honduras. These events, like floods, hurricanes, and tropical storms, can destroy homes and disrupt daily life. Climate change is expected to make these disasters happen even more often and be more powerful.
Farming
Climate change can cause crops to grow less well, meaning farmers will harvest less food. With the climate always changing, it's hard to know if there will be enough food for everyone in Honduras in the future. This is called food security.
Moving Away
Sometimes, the lack of rain, called drought, forces people to leave their homes in Honduras. When farmers can't grow enough food because of drought, they might have to move to find work or food. This has been a reason why some groups of people, called migrant caravans, have traveled to the United States. Between 2014 and 2016, many people leaving central and western Honduras said they left because they had "no food."
See also
In Spanish: Cambio climático en Honduras para niños
- Central American dry corridor
