Newly planted fields in Costa Rica, with mountain panorama in background.

Nicaragua

At a Glance

The Central America Regional Program serves Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

Climate change has emerged as a major threat to Central American communities, intensifying the destructive impacts of poor land-use practices and further stressing a region already vulnerable to drought, landslides, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events. USAID works across Central America to build the capacity of governments, people, places, and livelihoods to make better decisions and take actions to improve their resilience to climate change. USAID also promotes sustainable low-carbon growth by stimulating investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate-smart land practices that reduce emissions and contribute to economic growth.

Climate Projections and Impacts

Refer to the Climate Risk Profile (2017) for more information.

Climate Projections

Increased Frequency/Severity of Natural Disasters
Increased Precipitation Unpredictability/Variability
Decreased/Less Frequent Precipitation
Increased Temperature

Key Climate Impact Areas

Agriculture
Ecosystems
Human Health
Water Resources

Funding & Country Climate Context


USAID Regional Climate Change Funding (2020)

Total

$3 Million

Adaptation

$3 Million

GAIN Vulnerability

Medium

Population (2023)

6.35 Million

GHG Emissions Growth

5.02%

% Forested Area

25.9%

Average GHG Emissions Growth due to Deforestation

74.32%

Refer to metadata and sources for more details.

Climate Change Information

Climate Risk Profile

Climate Risk Profile: Nicaragua

Climate Risk Profile

Perfil de Riesgo Climático: Nicaragua

Factsheet

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Factsheet: Nicaragua

Climate Risk Profile: Nicaragua (Spanish)
Climate Risk Profile

Perfil de Riesgo Climático: Nicaragua

Climate Risk Profile

Climate Risk Profile: Nicaragua

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Factsheet: Nicaragua
Factsheet

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Factsheet: Nicaragua

Stories from the Area

The region has witnessed significant changes in the last five years, largely thanks to USAID’s investment in comprehensive, multi-sectoral migration management efforts.
Close-up of two people smiling and giving thumbs up to camera
In November 2020, two back-to-back category 4 hurricanes, Eta and Iota, struck Central America, making landfall on the coast of Nicaragua, near its border with Honduras, and also affecting El Salvador and Guatemala. Altogether, they caused an estimated one billion US dollars in damage. Despite such impacts, the region was better able to prepare for and respond to Eta and Iota using space-based technologies.
Hurricane Eta about to make landfall.
There is an increasing awareness of the importance of adapting agricultural systems and rural livelihoods to the challenges caused by climate change. This awareness has come hand in hand with the need to guarantee that both men and women — of different ages and ethnicities — can adapt equally to the effects of climate change. And while, in recent years, the importance of integrating gender issues in climate change initiatives in the agricultural sector has been increasingly acknowledged, it is not always obvious how to systemically and practically carry out gender integration.