Exposure to changes in climate in Bolivia

Abstract

Bolivia, by location and topographic characteristics, is a country with high exposure to extreme climate events. Often, the country is affected by droughts and storms that result in heat waves and floods with adverse effects for the population and the economy in general. For this reason, the analysis of temporal and spatial climate data is more evident than ever to face the socio-economic and environmental impacts associated with knowledge and understanding of the climate patterns in the country. The present investigation focuses on determining the changes in climatic variables of precipitation and temperature, generating indicators on these variables' behavior, and identifying Bolivia's areas with the most significant temporal exposure to climate changes in recent decades. Thus, this study proposes a regionalization that allows to contrast and analyzes these changes. As a result, it is expected to contribute to the generation of public policies and research around the areas of risk, vulnerability, adaptation, and climate resilience of the most significant exposure areas identified in this study.