Nicaragua: Caribbean Coast

Abstract Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America with an Atlantic coastline of 450 km long, containing a great diversity of resources and ecosystems. It fringes the largest continental shelf in Central America. Since Jameson, Trott, Marshall, and Childress (2000) in Seas at the Millennium , much has changed. Despite deforestation, there are still large tracts of rainforest. Development has been hampered by a lack of infrastructure, although this is changing rapidly. New roads have expanded the market for seafood products. Since the 1990s, the volume of fisheries exports has steadily increased. Spiny lobster is now the largest export, with an export value roughly four to six times greater than fin fish. Shrimp is the third-highest volume fishery but the volume of shrimp exported has declined since 2011. The marine habitats of the Corn Islands, Pearl Cays, Miskito Cays, and coastal lagoons are used by local communities for fisheries particularly, finfish, shrimp, lobster, and green turtle. Overexploitation due to a lack of management and absence of alternative livelihoods continues to threaten these fisheries. Degradation of coral reefs and mangroves compound the threat to coastal fisheries, along with the chronic effects of climate change. The Caribbean Coast is especially vulnerable to effects of climate change. Sea-level rise, more extreme weather events and variable seasonal changes are likely to affect agricultural productivity, water resources, coastal flooding, and ecological integrity. Nicaragua has been affected by climate change over the period from 1995 to 2014. Modeling projections indicate that the situation is likely to get worse with up to 10% decrease in precipitation on the Atlantic Coast over the next 20 years. The Nicaraguan government is actively addressing this with the development of the National Climate Change Action Plan in 2007 and 2010, partnering with international donors and, in 2017, it became one of the last countries to join the Paris Climate Agreement.