A recent study conducted by the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) showed that El Salvador needs to invest 5.3 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year to solve the losses caused by climate change, which is equivalent to 1.6 billion dollars.

According to the study, El Salvador’s GDP could be reduced between nine and 12 percent in 2050 if there is no investment response to the current challenges.

The climate will harm agriculture above all, and if climatic phenomenon, such as El Niño, continue to impact the country without an adequate response, by 2050 the agricultural yield of beans will fall by 19%, corn between 4 and 21%, and rice by 23%.

A recent report from the Salvadoran Chamber of Medium and Small Agricultural Producers, reported the loss of 110 thousand tons of corn and 3,822 tons of beans, which represents a tiny part of the damage that the country may face in the next few years.

Yet another problem is: maintaining security levels so that the agricultural, tourism and livestock sectors, which are the fields that would be most in danger if crime rates skyrocket again, can advance without impact.

Regarding security, the government faces the challenge of solving the prosecution of more than 72,500 gang members detained under the emergency regime.

Unemployment also affects the population despite attempts to incorporate unemployed sectors into projects carried out on a national scale, but are of short duration, especially those linked to construction.

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