New Research Guide: Environment and Climate Change Statistics for Latin America and the Caribbean

Public officers and researchers can now find information about the production of environmental statistics, concepts, methodologies and data resources available for Latin America and the Caribbean on a single site. The guide provides the information in an easy, accessible way and is available in English and Spanish.

The research guide describes environmental statistics and their basic concepts through global and regional materials. It contains a comprehensive collection of bibliographic material produced by the United Nations Statistical Commission, ECLAC and other specialized United Nations agencies. The most common methodologies and databases for calculating environmental and climate change indicators are available for each theme.

A Comprehensive Collection of Resources

The guide orders international statistical recommendations according to the Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES 2013). It includes biophysical aspects of the environment and those aspects of the socio-economic system that directly affect and interact with the environment. Examples are water, air, climate, energy, biodiversity, land use, forests, coastal areas, marine ecosystems, pollution, solid waste, hazardous events and disasters.

The research guide also includes a section on institutionalism and global and regional indicators frameworks that need environmental statistics for monitoring. The Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement to combat climate change and the Sendai Framework for Action for Disaster Risk Reduction are included here.

One of the sections presents the resources available in the institutions that produce environmental statistics at the national level in Latin American and Caribbean countries, especially the National Institutes of Statistics and the Ministries in charge of environment and climate change. 

The research guide contributes to sharing knowledge and experiences and stimulates discussion of the challenges of the production, use and dissemination of environmental statistics through a common conceptual framework.

The other regional collaboration tools available are the Regional Network of Environment and Climate Change Statistics and the Environment Statistics Unit website.