The new publication, titled "Latin America and the Caribbean: Atlas of our Changing Environment," highlights environmental issues in the region, including climate change, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, the impact of mining, the impact of natural disasters, changes in land use and degradation of coastal areas.
14 December 2010: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released a new publication, titled “Latin America and the Caribbean: Atlas of our Changing Environment,” which includes over 200 satellite images to highlight environmental issues in the region.
The Atlas is expected to be used as a tool to formulate future actions and public policies on sustainable development. Organized into three sections, the first two focus on regional information and the third is country focused, analysing 65 specific national cases. Environmental problems highlighted in the Atlas include climate change, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, the impact of mining, the impact of natural disasters, changes in land use and degradation of coastal areas.
According to UNEP, the effects of climate change are evident in satellite images of glaciers in Chilean and Argentine Patagonia. Biodiversity issues are illustrated through the increasing conversion of land for agricultural use (at 0.13% per year), resulting in the loss of forests and other habitats. [UNEP Press Release] [The Atlas]