Guatemala is located in Central America, bordering the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Its diverse topography includes mountain ranges reaching up to 4,220 meters above sea level.  Inequality is persistent, and many of the nearly 20 million people face limited access to basic services and rights (MARN, SGCCC, & UNDP 2021). The economy is largely concentrated in agriculture and activities linked to the use of natural resources, including livestock, hunting, forestry, and fisheries  (World Bank Group, 2021). 

Guatemala’s location and topography make it especially vulnerable to hydrometeorological phenomena, such as tropical storms and El Niño events, which trigger extreme events, including floods, droughts, extreme temperatures, or landslides. In fact, 74 percent of settlements are exposed to at least one of these hazards (MARN, SGCCC, & PNUD, 2021). 

In recent decades, climate change has led to rising temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns. Temperatures are projected to continue increasing, while overall precipitation is expected to decline and rainfall patterns become more variable. These trends, combined with socioeconomic conditions, place much of the population at high risk from climate change impacts (MARN, SGCCC, & UNDP 2021). The agriculture sector is particularly vulnerable, as small agricultural producers are heavily affected by climate-related droughts, which can result in production losses of up to 55 percent (World Bank Group, 2021).