Suriname Climate Change
Suriname Climate Background
Suriname borders French Guiana to the east, Brazil to the south, Guyana to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north on the north-eastern coast of South America. The northern, lowland coastal area is especially vulnerable to coastal inundation and erosion, as well as other detrimental climate change effects. Integrated coastal zone management, efficient water resource utilization, and the production of salt-tolerant crops are some of the recommended adaptation techniques.
The climate backdrop for Suriname for the present climatology, 1991-2020, taken from observable, historical data. In order to grasp future climate scenarios and expected change, information should be used to establish a strong understanding of current climatic circumstances. Data for the present climate can be visualized using regional variation, the seasonal cycle, or as a time series.
Suriname has a semi-humid climate that is impacted by the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone’s behavior (ITCZ). Suriname’s average annual air temperature is 27 degrees Celsius. Every year, there are two wet seasons and two dry seasons. Every year, Suriname receives between 1500mm and 2500mm of rain. The coastal zone of Suriname is quite fertile. A substantial portion of Suriname’s population, as well as 90% of the country’s human activities such as agriculture and minor enterprises, are concentrated here.
Suriname’s Climate
Suriname has a warm and humid tropical climate due to its location just 2°C-6° north of the equator. In the north, the average temperature is 25°C-27.5°C all year, while in the south, the average temperature is around 23°C-25°C. In January, the average daily temperature is 26°C, while in October, it is 31°C. The El Nio Southern Oscillation is responsible for inter-annual climate fluctuations (ENSO). El Nio events produce dry weather all year and warmer temperatures between June and August, whereas La Nia events bring wetter conditions all year and cooler temperatures between June and August.
In terms of relative humidity, the observed average is 81 percent. The average annual rainfall is 2,200 mm, but it varies depending on the terrain, with the coastal plains receiving 1,500-1,750 mm on average and the central region receiving 2,500-3,000 mm. Suriname has two rainy seasons: a major wet season from May to July, when most of the country receives 250 to 400 mm of rain per month, and a minor wet season from November to January, when most of the nation receives 150 to 200 mm of rain per month. There are two short dry seasons in the country.
A short dry season runs from February to April, with an average monthly rainfall of 100 mm, and a long dry season runs from August to December, with monthly rainfall of less than 100 mm. Suriname is located south of the hurricane belt, hence it is immune to this hazard.
Temperature
Since 1960, the average annual temperature has risen by 0.2°C at a pace of 0.05°C each decade. This is a slower pace of warming than the global average. In May-July, the rate of growth is the fastest, at around 0.1°C each decade. Between 1960 and 2003, the average number of ‘hot’ days per month in December-February grew by 24 percent, and the number of ‘hot’ nights per year climbed by 28 percent. The west of the country is experiencing a faster rate of warming.
Precipitation
Since 1960, there has been no statistically significant trend in mean annual rainfall. Because of the considerable inter-annual fluctuation in rainfall, long-term patterns are difficult to discern.
Surinam Climate Change and Disaster Risks
The combination of climate-related hazards (including hazardous occurrences and trends), community vulnerability (susceptibility to harm and lack of capacity to adapt), and human and natural system exposure is used to assess overall risks from climate-related consequences. Hazards, exposure, and susceptibility are driven by changes in the climatic system and socioeconomic activities, including adaptation and mitigation actions.
Surinam Climate Change Video
Despite the fact that Suriname is outside the hurricane belt, the country’s weather is periodically affected by hurricane tails. An increase in sibibusis, local storm events marked by heavy rain and bursts of intense, localized spinning wind, is cause for alarm. Flooding, salt water intrusion, and landslides have all been caused by these catastrophes. Local gales can reach maximum wind speeds of 20-30 m/s and occur before storms, usually near the conclusion of wet seasons. These gales can sweep over the country, destroying trees and homes.
Flooding is frequently linked to sibibusi incidents. Storm surge and heavy rains have flooded highways in the coastal city and the interior, causing evacuations, deaths, and health consequences, including an outbreak of water-borne and vector-borne infections.
Droughts are frequently linked to El Nio events. Drought conditions may become more prevalent and difficult to predict as a result of climate change projections that yearly rainfall totals will drop and temperatures will rise.
Surinam Climate Change and Disaster Impacts
Surinam Climate Change and Agriculture Impacts
While the agriculture sector’s share of GDP declined from roughly 15% in 1990 to 9% in 2012, it was still the third largest contributor to Suriname’s GDP in 2014, with a contribution of $748 million SRD. Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries continue to be a key source of employment in rural areas, according to the Second National Communication, which adds that the subsector provides a significantly bigger part of the formal labour market than the same subsector’s relative share of GDP. Agriculture’s contribution to employment has been estimated to range from 8.9% in 2007 to 15% in 2009.
Rice, which occupied 94 percent of fertile land in 2013 and accounted for 60 percent of overall agricultural production, provides roughly 5% of the country’s foreign exchange generating and is the population’s main staple meal. Bananas are the second most widely grown crop, accounting for 50% of agricultural exports in the period 2007-2011, alongside rice. Plantains, vegetables, and cassava are also major crops.
Crop production (rice, bananas, vegetables), animal production (beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, pigs), fisheries (dominated by deep-sea fish and shrimp with some aquaculture), and, most recently, fruit, flower, and ornamental plant cultivation are all examples of agricultural activities.
These activities can be found in both new and old coastal locations, and they are heavily reliant on water supplies and weather conditions. Agriculture, cattle, and fisheries use obsolete equipment, making them more vulnerable to climate change. Saltwater intrusion and changes in rainfall patterns could result in a reduction in accessible productive land, putting national food security and export revenues at risk.
Droughts will increase the need for irrigation, while flooding can cause major economic harm. The cumulative economic cost of the May 2006 floods on the agricultural sector topped SR $42 million, accounting for 37.9% of the total flood impact on the interior and around 17% of Suriname’s agriculture, hunting, forestry, and fishing GDP.
Surinam Climate Change and Hydrological Impacts
Because of its topography, soil, and land cover, Suriname is a water-rich country. There are numerous significant rivers and freshwater wetlands, and their existence, combined with the presence of well-forested areas, produces large amounts of water vapor. The relatively high precipitation in the country is due to local convection and orographic lifting in the hills and hilly regions. Rainwater is collected or surface sources are used in rural regions, while drinkable water is obtained from groundwater supplies.
Agriculture (irrigation, particularly for rice cultivation), energy generation (hydropower), and consumption are the main uses of water resources (potable water). Contamination from mining and deforestation, as well as salt water infiltration of rivers in low-lying coastal areas, depending on the season, due to the ocean’s tidal influence, are all risks. Flood waters may contaminate water supplies in metropolitan areas as a result of the cumulative effects of excessive rainfall, poor drainage, and rising sea and river water levels.
Seawater intrusion is a hazard to coastal aquifers as sea levels rise, which is aggravated by a decrease in groundwater recharge due to excessive abstraction and less precipitation in the future.
Surinam Climate Change and Coastal Impacts
The warming of the earth is directly causing global mean sea level to rise in two ways: mountain glaciers and polar ice sheets are melting and contributing water to the ocean, and the warmth of the ocean water causes expansion and therefore greater volume. Since 1880, the global mean sea level has risen roughly 210–240 millimeters (mm), with about a third of it occurring in the previous two and a half decades. The annual growth is currently around 3mm each year.
Natural variability in area winds and ocean currents causes regional fluctuations, which can last for days, months, or even decades. However, additional factors such as ground uplift (e.g., ongoing rebound from Ice Age glacier weight), changes in water tables owing to water extraction or other water management, and even the effects of local erosion can all play a role locally.
Rising sea levels put a strain on both the physical coastline and coastal ecosystems. Freshwater aquifers, which support municipal and agricultural water supplies as well as natural ecosystems, can be contaminated by saltwater incursions. Because there is a significant lag between attaining equilibrium and global temperatures continuing to rise, sea level will continue to rise for a long time. The magnitude of the rise will be heavily influenced by future carbon dioxide emissions and global warming, and the speed of the rise may be progressively influenced by glacier and ice sheet melting.
Surinam Climate Change and Disaster Resilient Video
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