Latin America and the Caribbean: Environment

The Latin America and the Caribbean region boasts abundant water, tremendous biological diversity, and approximately half of the tropical forests in the world. However, population growth, deforestation, urban expansion, and pollution threaten the region’s environment and raise the potential for conflict. Climate change is already having a discernable impact on the economies and peoples of the region, and it will continue to do so. USAID’s environment programs in the LAC region seek to mitigate these threats, creating the potential for long-term economic benefit from the use of the region’s natural resources