CSA is a broadly heterogeneous region with respect to topography, ecosystems, urban and rural territories, demography, economy, cultures and climates. The region relies on a strong agrarian economy in which small producers and large industries participate, but also large industrialised urban centres, oil production and mining. The region is one of the most urbanised areas of the world and home to many Indigenous Peoples, some still in isolation, and exhibits one of the highest rates of inequality, which is a structural and growing feature of CSA. Poverty and extreme poverty rates are higher among children, young people, women, Indigenous Peoples and migrant and rural populations, but urban extreme poverty is also growing . Socioeconomic challenges are being intensified by the COVID crisis. Most countries in CA are already ranked as the highest risk level worldwide due to the region's high vulnerability to climate change and low adaptive capacity; the lack of climate data and proper downscaling are challenging the adaptation process .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report