Emilio Sempris is Director of the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (www.cathalac.org).

Climate Change and Freshwater in Latin America and the Caribbean

Despite the fact that Latin America and the Caribbean have the largest freshwater resources per capita, a third of the region's population is cut off from sustained access to drinking water. Up until a few years ago, freshwater problems had been generally characterized as a result of inequitable natural distribution, lack of adequate financing for water infrastructure, poor freshwater governance, or a combination of the three.