Latin America and the Caribbean

The Latin America and Caribbean Region is characterized by:

• considerable heterogeneity in social and economic conditions, both within and across countries
• increasing integration of economies into the world economy
• the formation of regional trading blocks such as Mercosur
• a high degree of urbanization, with 75 percent of the region's 500 million inhabitants living in cities and making a living in the industrial and service sectors
• a general deepening of democracy, coupled with a trend toward increasing decentralization and improved governance

The key environmental issues in the Latin America and Caribbean Region include: (i) urban-industrial pollution; (ii) mismanagement of natural resources in areas of existing and new settlement, and the consequent loss of terrestrial and marine biodiversity; and (iii) the high vulnerability of urban and rural populations to natural disasters.