Climate Change

Climate Change

The Caribbean's natural vulnerability to storm-induced impacts has become more evident in the past few decades with an increase in high-impact climate events. Potentially connected to global climate change, this trend has caused significant economic and social setbacks. Climate change presents additional threats, particularly that of sea level rise, which can result in saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources, loss of beaches with tourism value, and further degradation of infrastructure. For this reason, the need for the gathering of environmental data and monitoring of environmental conditions, as well as measuring for infrastructure vulnerability to climate-related impacts, has become pressing

The aggregate regional contribution to the global emission of green house gases is estimated at 0.15% of the total. As low emitters, the countries do not consider mitigation an important priority, although mitigation would emanate from the adaptation policy formulation process. For the Caribbean SIDS, their highest environmental priority relates to actions to cope with climate change impacts on their most vulnerable sectors.

It is difficult to estimate the impact of climate change on the SIDS economies, due partly to the varying global climate change scenarios, limited geographical projections for the Caribbean, and the inadequate inventory of vulnerable assets and resources in these economies. A recent estimate of the potential economic consequences of the impacts of climate change on the economies of the Caribbean countries (Haites, 2002), in a "no-adaptation" scenario, ranges from 5% to over 30% of the GDP on the average (annualized values), with the range for some individual countries being even broader.

As is the case for disaster management, the need for more and better quality information on environmental conditions and the vulnerability of infrastructure to climate-related impacts is one of the principal concerns for addressing climate change in the region. Additionally, climate change also presents a challenge in determining the regional effects of global variation in climate, requiring the downscaling of global climate models to regional conditions. Determining baseline conditions for different economic sectors is necessary to ascertain their vulnerability to climate change-related impacts; this includes the development of comprehensive inventories and databases of natural resources in the region, and of information management systems.

As a step towards fulfilling information needs for addressing climate change, many Caribbean countries have prepared their 1st National Communications reports under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC). The 1st National Communications reports include a baseline of data on carbon emissions and the economic activities that result in these emissions, as well as an assessment of the vulnerability to climate change of sectors such as tourism, water resources, agriculture, and coastal resources, and of human settlements.

The Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change (CPACC) project supported Caribbean countries in preparing to cope with the adverse effects of global climate change, particularly sea level rise, in coastal and marine areas through vulnerability assessment, adaptation planning, and capacity building linked to adaptation planning. CPACC was funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the World Bank, and executed by the Organization of American States. CPACC had a number of positive impacts in developing the informational capacity for responding to climate change and climate-induced natural disasters. Among its activities in this area, CPACC established a network of sea level and climate monitoring systems, supported the development of databases and information systems for the management of climate change data, and supported the further development of inventories of coastal resources.

One of the main contributions of the CPACC Project in terms of information management was the development of the Coastal Resources Inventory System (CRIS). CRIS was developed to provide the necessary baseline data for the execution of project activities related to the sustainable management of coastal resources. CRIS manages coastal resource data, including coastal physical characteristics, natural environments, and information on the use of coastal areas and resources. It is an interactive system based on a web-GIS concept, capable of combining data with spatial applications such as remote sensing and satellite imagery. CRIS is addressed to planning agencies and ministries of environment, and has the potential for developing into a multi-layered multi-scenario decision-making support tool.

The Caribbean region is also undertaking significant activities in the areas of water resources and climate change. The Caribbean Dialogue on Water and Climate (CDWC) provides a framework for disseminating information, exchanging experiences, collaboration, and communication on matters related to addressing climate variability and change in the management of water resources.

The Adapting to Climate Change in the Caribbean (ACCC) project was designed to maintain momentum on climate change issues after CPACC. The ACCC project is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), through the Canadian Climate Change Development Fund (CCCDF). A key objective of the ACCC project was to create conditions under which the region would be able to sustain climate change activities at the conclusion of the CPACC project. To formalize this permanent capacity, CARICOM, with the support of the CPACC and ACCC projects, established the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) in February 2002. The CCCCC will serve as a regional institution that will articulate, support, and sustain the program of action on climate change adaptation for the Caribbean.

The Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change (MACC) project, funded by the GEF and executed by CARICOM's Regional Planning Implementation Unit (RPIU), seeks to build upon CPACC's achievements in the climate change area, by incorporating information and experience generated under CPACC into regional development planning. MACC will assess the potential impacts of projected climate changes on pilot communities, with a focus on coastal hazards, and determine the possible implications of the ENSO phenomena on the Caribbean region for specific sectors, including inter alia disaster management, water resources management, and the tourism, agriculture, and insurance sectors. The project has just been approved by the World Bank and is to be implemented for 2003-2007.

The Bahamas Environment Science & Technology Commission hosts a website were information on the Bahamas and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change can be found. To access this website you may go to http://www.best.bs/climate/

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