State and Trends: Air

Abstract

The GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Latin America and theCaribbean (LAC) identifies the main environmental changesthat have been observed in the region since GEO-5 (2012) andGEO LAC 3 (2010); and considers priorities for action withinthe overall framework of the new 2030 sustainability agenda.At the beginning of the GEO-6 process, governments ofLAC and other key stakeholder groups (at the GEO REINConference held in Panama City in May 2015) identifieda number of regional priorities that helped to shape thefocus for assessing suitable response options for the region.These priorities included: impacts from climate changeand natural hazards; biodiversity and ecosystem services;natural resources and tourism; economic developmentand sustainable consumption and production; health andenvironment; land use, land degradation and land planning;environmental governance; environmental information; andcommunication and public awareness.The GEO-6 LAC report is structured into four chapters; thefirst two present the results of the assessment followingthe Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Responses (DPSIR)framework, focusing on 5 major environmental themes(Air, Freshwater, Oceans, Land, and Biodiversity). Chapter3 evaluates policy progress made in key regional priorityareas; reviews particular policy success stories; and assessesthe enabling conditions for achieving the SustainableDevelopment Goals that include the natural environment asan important component/ consideration. Chapter 4 presentsa set of regional scenarios, and thereby provides insightsinto some of the options available to decision-makers asthey consider how to move the countries of the region ontomore sustainable development pathways.