San Pedro Sula is the second-largest city in Honduras and the country’s industrial and economic capital. Located in the northwest, around 50 km from the Caribbean Sea, the city is part of the Sula Valley and the Merendón mountain chain. Flooding poses a significant threat in San Pedro Sula, with 32% of its 754,000 residents living in high-risk areas. Between 2014 and 2019, the city experienced over 100 climate-related events, including floods and landslides. Amongst these recurring events, Hurricane Mitch in 1998 caused the most extensive damage in Honduras followed by Tropical Storms Eta and Iota, which struck San Pedro Sula within a week in 2020. The flooding events post Hurricane Mitch caused severe damage to the banana industry and the Municipality’s infrastructure including major impacts on the bridges. Additionally, more than 70% of Honduras’s agricultural sector was devastated, leading to immediate food shortages and a significant decline in exports of bananas, coffee, and shrimp.
In this context, the Economics of Climate Adaptation (ECA) methodology benefits policymakers and decision-makers in identifying and prioritizing adaptation measures based on cost-effectiveness to address the climate impacts. ECA is a decision-making framework that integrates climate vulnerability and risk assessments with economic and sustainability impact studies to determine the portfolio of adaptation measures for various climate risks.
The ECA study in San Pedro Sula targets adaptation measures aimed at safeguarding the most vulnerable populations, particularly those situated along river shorelines, as well as near roads, electrical and drainage infrastructure, and vital public assets such as hospitals and schools. For the municipality of San Pedro Sula, flood adaptation measures were evaluated in selected districts with a focus on cost-efficiency. A total of 22 measures (12 options of measures distributed in different locations) were identified following the ECA framework. These measures include nature/ecosystems-based solutions, technical and engineering solutions (grey measures), and risk transfer/ insurance solutions.
Results of the study can be found here in the Executive Summary
- United Nations University – Institute for Environmental and Human Security
- Floods
- Vulnerable population
- Households
- Road infrastructure
- Electric infrastructure
- Public assets (hospitals, schools…)
- Shorelines of the river
- Drainage system
- Urban Area of San Pedro Sula
- 10/2019 – 09/2020