CoCHAP: Honduras
COCHAP Cities in Honduras
Choluteca and Nacaome cities in Honduras are implementing both the coastal hazard resilience and extreme heat components of the COCHAP and San Lorenzo city is focusing on coastal hazards.
Choluteca is a municipality and the capital city of the Honduran department of the same name. Situated in southern Honduras between El Salvador and Nicaragua, the city is generally considered the regional centre of southern Honduras and is a major transit point on the Pan-American Highway. Choluteca's population of 99,980 (2023 projection) makes it the seventh largest city in the country.
Nacaome, is the capital city of the Valle department of Honduras and the municipal seat of Nacaome Municipality. It is a manufacturing and commercial center located on the banks of the Nacaome River. As of 2013 Honduras census, Nacaome municipality had a population of 57,345. Nacaome was affected by Hurricane Stan in October 2005.
San Lorenzo is a city, with a population of 35,560 (2023 projections) and a municipality in the department of Valle.It has become one of the most developed cities in southern Honduras. Its economy is based around the seafood industry (shrimp), tourism and agriculture (watermelon, melon and other fruits).
Progress and Impact
In Honduras, (as of April 2024 -latest at the top), we...
- Completed the City-level Risk Assessment Workshops with participation from local government, national disaster risk management authorities, academia, HRC staff and volunteers and other city stakeholders.
- Completed Honduras Heat Risk Study -based on a remote data analysis.
- Together with the coalition members, designed the detailed Project activities and developed a work plan in each city.
- Following the stakeholder mapping and engagement process, set-up new city resilience coalitions in Project cities
Climate Context
Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere and is vulnerable to climate change due to its high exposure to climate-related hazards (hurricanes, tropical storms, floods, droughts, landslides) that devastate crops and critical infrastructure.
Honduras has a mountainous interior that creates two distinct regions with lowland coastal areas on each side.
High exposure to extreme weather events is the country's primary source of climate vulnerability, as tropical storms and hurricanes destroy key infrastructure and threaten human life and wellbeing.
Additional stressors such as reduced rainfall and higher temperatures negatively impact the agriculture sector, increase risks of water scarcity, and may inhibit hydropower plant expansion.
Honduras' coastal ecosystems and fisheries are vulnerable to warming temperatures, compounded by overfishing and environmental degradation.
Resources:
WB Climate Knowledge Portal/Honduras
USAID Climate Risk Profile: Honduras
Secondary:
Extreme Heat in Central and South America
https://preparecenter.org/resource/flood-resilience-alliance-honduras-country-briefing/
Resources