Venezuela

Venezuela: Environment

Venezuela's environment is diverse and complex, characterized by a tropical climate with regions of temperate weather in its mountainous areas. The country's land use is predominantly forested, with 53.5% of its land covered by forests as of 2023. Agriculture plays a significant role, occupying 24.4% of the land, though only 2.9% is arable. Urbanization in Venezuela is prominent, with 88.4% of the population residing in urban areas as of 2023, growing at an annual rate of 1.16%. The nation faces several environmental issues, including deforestation, soil degradation, and pollution, particularly in Lago de Valencia and Lago de Maracaibo. Despite these challenges, Venezuela is a party to numerous international environmental agreements, showing its commitment to addressing global environmental concerns.

Climate

tropical; characterized by heat and humidity; more temperate in mountainous regions

Land use

other

22.1% (2023 est.)

forest

53.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land

24.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 20.6% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population

88.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Methane emissions

other

7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

328.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

3,595.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture

1,007.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

9.779 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

21.3% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues

sewage contamination of Lago de Valencia; oil and municipal pollution in Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; degradation of soil; urban and industrial pollution, particularly along the Caribbean coastline; risk to the rainforest ecosystem due to mining activities

Total water withdrawal

municipal

5.123 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

793.3 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural

16.71 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

76.73 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

48.623 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

179,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

27.928 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

16.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

1.325 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International environmental agreements

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements