Download Weather, Climate and Society Of Honduras

Weather, Climate and Society
Of Honduras
Chris Horne and Taro Funabashi feat. Vince “Colby” Todd
Hurricane Fifi, 1974
Honduras is hot and humid almost yearround. Temperatures vary by altitude
rather than season. The average high
temperature nationwide is 32°C (90°F)
and the average low is 20°C (68°F).
Temperatures are coolest in mountain
areas.
Honduras’ climate and geography allows for vast
biodiversity. Tropical climates in the lowlands
and temperate climates in the mountains create
diverse habitats for a plethora of flora and fauna.
Honduras is home to 738 species of birds, 6,000
species of vascular plants (630 of which are
Orchids), 110 mammal species, half of which are
bats, and around 250 reptiles and amphibians.
Honduras is home to the only New World big cat,
the jaguar. In the region of La Mosquitia lies the
Río Plátana Biosphere Reserve, a lowland
rainforest with immense biodiversity. The
Reserve was added to the UNESCO World
Heritage Sites list in 1992 because of its cultural
and physical significance. Honduras has rain
forests, cloud forests, savannahs, mangroves,
mountain ranges, and the Mesoamerican Barrier
Reef System.
The Caribbean Lowlands:
-tropical, wet climate
-consistently high temperature and humidity
-rainfall evenly distributed throughout the years
Honduras' economy has been based on one
commodity, bananas, since the beginning of the
twentieth century. Because the livelihood of the
country depends on a single agricultural export,
adverse weather and climate conditions greatly
affect Honduras. Hurricane Fifi in 1974 effectively
destroyed the Honduran economy, as it killed
approximately 80% of that year’s banana crop.
Honduras is now seeing a problem in regards to
the amount of available arable land in the country
and is making an attempt at agricultural
diversification. However, bananas remain the
country's most important and lucrative export, so
the climate plays a huge role in the economical
well-being of Honduras.
The Pacific Lowlands
-tropical wet-and-dry climate
-high temperatures
-distinct dry season from November through April
The Interior Highlands
-tropical highland climate
-also have a distinct dry season
-temperatures decrease as elevation increases
Honduras is located within the hurricane belt.
The Caribbean Coast is particularly vulnerable to
hurricanes and tropical storms. In 1974,
Hurricane Fifi destroyed nearly all of Honduras'
banana crop, and Hurricane Mitch in 1998
became the most deadly hurricane in the
Western Hemisphere in two centuries. Storms
also affect the Pacific coast of the country, but
these are generally less powerful.
-GermanWatch’s Global Climate Risk Index 2009 ranked Honduras as the country “most affected by extreme weather
events” for a ten year period spanning from 1998 to 2007
-Honduras has been rated the country that will be most heavily affected by climate change: Temperatures in Honduras
will potentially rise 3.7 C, and decrease in rainfall could reach 37%. This has an effect on the nation that reaches beyond
the weather forecast for the following reasons:
-34% of the Honduran GDP is agriculturally based
-80% of freshwater use in Honduras is channeled to agriculture, and only 5.6% of cropland is irrigated (or in other words,
not reliant on natural rainfall)
In short, the Honduran economy is heavily based on agriculture, which is in turn heavily reliant on rainfall. These factors
act as a large multiplier of the effects of climate change on the Honduras
-Torrential rains caused flash
floods and mudslides, which
took out entire towns and
villages, including Choloma,
where an estimated 2,800
people were killed
-Between 350,000 and
500,000 left homeless
-Cost the country an estimated
$1.8 billion in damage
-Destruction of nearly 80% of
Honduras’ banana crop in
1974.
-The sheer number of dead bodies was
overwhelming to those conducting relief efforts,
and, because the breakout and spread of
disease due the decay was such a concern,
relief crews began burning the bodies. It was
reported that somewhere between 5,000 and
6,000 dead bodies were burned
-Because of its unprecedented destruction, the
name Fifi was retired from the list of hurricane
names and has not been used since.
Hurricane Mitch, 1998
Hurricane Mitch devastated the Central
American world, forming October 22, 1998
and dissipating November 5, 1998. Rainfall
was estimated at 75 inches, causing
extensive flooding throughout the region.
The sheer numbers of the damage speak
volumes: nearly 11,000 dead, 2.7 million
left homeless or missing, and over $5 billion
in damages.
Agricultural Damage:
58% of the expected corn output was destroyed
85% of banana crops were lost, hurting exports as well.
29% of the country’s arable land was destroyed, totaling $1.7 billion.
Economic and Social Infrastructures Damage:
Transportation and Communication Networks: $579 million
Drinking Water and Sanitation Segment: $58 million
Housing Sector: $334 million
Health Services: $66 million
Hurricane damages stretched the deficit to 3% by years end. Prior to
the hurricane, the Honduran government looked to cut the deficit to less
than 1%.
Tegucigalpa
The capital city was devastated by flooding, roughly affecting one third
of the buildings. Some of the city’s oldest buildings were completely
washed away, erasing over 350 years of history. The city’s mayor and
2001 presidential election frontrunners, Cesar Castellanos, was killed in
the storm, stripping the country of a preeminent future leader.
Epidemiological Effects:
A slew of intestinal, respiratory, eye, and skin diseases swept the
country following Hurricane Mitch. Overcrowding of shelters and
contaminated food and water supplies led to the outbreak of cholera,
leptospirosis, and worst of all, dengue. Over 17,000 cases of dengue
and hemorrhagic dengue were reported in Honduras after Mitch.