A scientist for the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change voiced his concern over the effect that climate change is having on Colombia.
Scientist Germán Poveda said that agricultural expansion and proliferation illicit crops have devastated 50% of Colombian woodlands. The problem is said to be most serious in Andean regions. Deforestation destroys diversity and “for Colombia, this is a fundamental threat to the development of the country,” he said.
The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, an organization created by the U.N., also expressed grave concerns that Colombia will lose all of its six glaciers within the next decade.
Global warming also threatens to affect Colombia’s Caribbean coast, where rising sea levels could destroy infrastructure.
The U.N organization also predicts an increase in the intensity and frequency of rain. This year the rainy season has been uncharacteristically long and severe. 33 Colombians have died as a result of flooding and landslides over the last few weeks alone.