Climate change in Suriname is leading to warmer temperatures and more

extreme weather Extreme weather or extreme climate events includes unexpected, unusual, severe, or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution—the range that has been seen in the past. Often, extreme events are based on a locat ...

events in

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the nor ...

. As a relatively poor country, its contributions to global

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

have been limited. Because of the large

forest cover Forest cover is the amount of forest that covers a particular area of land. It may be measured as relative (in percent) or absolute (in square kilometres/square miles). Around a third of the world's surface is covered with forest, with closed-canop ...

, the country has been running a carbon negative economy since 2014. Suriname was the second country to update its

Nationally Determined Contributions A nationally determined contribution (NDC) or intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) is a non-binding national plan highlighting climate change mitigation, including climate-related targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions. Thes ...

in 2020.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Suriname has claimed a net-negative carbon economy since at least 2014. This is in large part because dense forests cover over 93% of the country. Most of the

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

is still in pristine condition, however it is being threatened by gold mining and logging companies. Agriculture contributes 40% of the country's emissions.

Petroleum industry

Petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

exports are an important part of the

economy of Suriname The economy of Suriname was largely dependent upon the exports of aluminium oxide and small amounts of aluminium produced from bauxite mined in the country. However, after the departure of Alcoa, the economy depended on the exports of crude oil ...

, much of which is controlled by the state owned

Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname Staatsolie, officially Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname (), is a Surinamese oil and gold company which was established to execute the oil policy which includes exploration, drilling and processing oil. In 2014 Staatsolie expanded its business to ...

. As of January 2020, an American corporation,

Apache Corporation APA Corporation is the holding company for Apache Corporation, an American company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration. It is organized in Delaware and headquartered in Houston. The company is ranked 431st on the Fortune 500. Current operations ...

, was drilling wells in Maka Central.

Impacts on the natural environment

Temperature and weather changes

According to the World Bank, temperatures have already increased across the country, with a significant increase in hot weather. Though precipitation has not shown any significant trend changes, projections suggest significant changes in different parts of the country.

Sea level rise

90% of Suriname's human activity is on the Northern coast, which is particularly vulnerable to

sea level rise Globally, sea levels are rising due to human-caused climate change. Between 1901 and 2018, the globally averaged sea level rose by , or 1–2 mm per year on average.IPCC, 2019Summary for Policymakers InIPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cr ...

and salt water intrusion.

Impacts on people

Economic impacts

Agriculture

Though agriculture is a decreasing part of the total economy of the country, accounting for 9% of GDP in 2012, it is the third largest part of the Surinamese economy employing 15% of the population in 2009. Changing weather and flood events are expect to have significant negative effects on agriculture in the country. 49% of the economic losses of May 2006 floods in Suriname were agricultural.

Health impacts

The greatest risk Suriname faces is the flooding of the rivers. The population is concentrated around major rivers like the

, Commewijne, and Marowijne River in an area a few meters above sea level. In 2006 and 2015, there were majors floods even resulting in deaths.

Mitigation and adaptation

Policies and legislation

The Surinamese government was proactive about updating its

statement in 2020, second only behind the

Climate change in the Marshall Islands Climate change in the Marshall Islands is a major issue for the country. As with many countries made up of low-lying islands, the Marshall Islands is highly vulnerable to sea level rise and other impacts of climate change. The atoll and capital cit ...

. The major commitments included maintenance of forests as a

carbon sink A carbon sink is anything, natural or otherwise, that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period and thereby removes carbon dioxide () from the atmosphere. Globally, the two most important carbon si ...

, 35%

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

by 2030, and sustainable farming and transportation investments.

References

{{Americas topic, Climate change in, state=expanded

Environment of Suriname