Poor Communities in Latin America Face Highest Exposure to Climate Threats: World Bank

A World Bank study finds that poor communities across Latin America are far more exposed to climate hazards such as droughts, floods, landslides, hurricanes, and heatwaves than wealthier populations. The research identifies major climate-poverty hotspots in regions like northeastern Brazil, the Amazon basin, and parts of Mexico, warning that climate change is rapidly deepening inequality across the continent.

Climate disasters are becoming a daily reality across Latin America and the Caribbean, but a new World Bank study shows the burden is falling most heavily on the poor. Researchers found that poor communities are far more exposed to droughts, floods, hurricanes, heatwaves, and landslides than wealthier populations, creating a dangerous overlap between poverty and climate risk.

The report, produced by the World Bank's Fiscal Policy and Growth Global Department and the Development Data Group, combined poverty maps with climate hazard data from institutions such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Climate Change Knowledge Portal, and national statistical agencies across the region. The study examined how millions of people are living in areas increasingly threatened by severe weather and environmental shocks.

Nearly Half of the Poor Face Climate Hazards

According to the research, 36.9 percent of the total population in Latin America and the Caribbean is exposed to at least one major climate hazard. But among people living in poverty, the number rises sharply to 44.6 percent. For non-poor populations, exposure stands at 34 percent.

Droughts emerged as the biggest threat, especially for rural communities that depend heavily on farming and livestock. Landslides also disproportionately affect poor populations living in mountainous regions with weak infrastructure and limited public services.

Researchers found that most people are exposed to one major climate hazard, but millions face multiple risks at the same time. Poor communities are far more likely to live in areas where droughts, floods, or landslides overlap, making recovery from disasters even more difficult.

Hotspots of Poverty and Danger

The study identified several climate "hotspots" where high poverty and high hazard exposure occur together. These include northeastern Brazil, the Amazon regions of Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil, the Chaco region shared by Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, the Caribbean islands, and parts of Mexico including the Yucatán Peninsula.

In many of these areas, more than 60 percent of the population is exposed to severe climate hazards while poverty rates remain above 30 percent. Researchers warn that these regions face especially high levels of vulnerability because environmental disasters can destroy homes, livelihoods, infrastructure, and food supplies at the same time.

The report notes that climate risks are not evenly spread across the continent. Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico rank among the countries with the highest overall exposure, while Chile records relatively lower exposure rates.

Different Countries, Different Climate Threats

Each country faces a unique mix of hazards. In Brazil, droughts dominate the poorer northeast while floods and heatwaves threaten Amazonian and coastal regions. Colombia experiences severe floods, landslides, droughts, and heatwaves across large parts of the country.

Mexico stands out because heatwaves, rather than droughts, are the biggest threat. Rapid urbanization and rising temperatures are intensifying heat in cities such as Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara. Mexico also faces strong hurricane exposure along both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

Peru shows one of the clearest divides between poverty and climate danger. Poor populations are concentrated in Andean regions exposed to droughts and landslides, while wealthier groups tend to live in safer coastal urban areas.

Honduras recorded one of the widest gaps between poor and non-poor exposure, particularly because rural communities are heavily affected by droughts and landslides.

A Warning for the Region's Future

The World Bank study argues that climate change is becoming not only an environmental crisis but also a major social and economic challenge for Latin America. Poor households are often forced to live in risky areas where land is cheaper, and infrastructure is weaker. They also have fewer savings, less insurance coverage, and weaker access to social protection programs, making recovery from disasters far more difficult.

At the same time, researchers stress that climate risks increasingly affect middle-class and wealthier populations, especially through heatwaves, floods, and hurricanes in urban and coastal regions. This broader exposure could create stronger political support for climate adaptation policies.

The report calls for targeted investments in resilient infrastructure, disaster preparedness, social protection systems, and poverty reduction programs. It also highlights the importance of local-level planning, since detailed municipality data revealed far more vulnerability than national averages alone.

The study's message is clear: as climate change intensifies across Latin America, inequality will play a major role in determining who suffers the most, and who has the resources to recover.