Uruguay - Country Note on Climate Change Aspects in Agriculture

Abstract

This country note briefly summarizes information relevant to both climate change and agriculture in Uruguay, with focus on policy developments (including action plans and programs) and institutional make-up. Uruguay is one of the four developing countries in the World to have submitted two national communications to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), indicating strong commitment by the government for addressing climate change across sectors. Agriculture (including land use change and forestry) is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the country and it is also one of the most important sectors in the economy, representing 65 percent of the county's export sources. Significant steps have been made in reforestation and carbon sequestration in the country, reducing the net effect of the sector on total GHG emissions. Given that the emissions reduction potential of the sector is large, carbon trading opportunities have not yet been explored in the country. Reducing vulnerability to climate change and, in particular, to seasonal variability and variations in precipitation is of increasing importance in the agricultural sector (and, particular, for water management), coupled with more sustainable land management practices and production decisions.