Experts have expressed concern over what they described as the slow pace or failure to implement policies on mitigation and adaptation strategies to address climate change throughout the Caribbean.
The experts who were part panellists during the March edition of the Central Bank of Barbados’ Economic Forum, which examined the theme ‘Building Resilience Against Climate Change, said it was an issue of major concern.
Speaking during the virtual forum, the Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago-based Caribbean Natural Resources Institute in Trinidad and Tobago, Cletus Springer, pointed out that the pace of the projects did not suggest urgency in the region’s response.
He noted that many of the projects did not even reflect a deepening consideration of climate-change impacts, adding that he still sees hotels going up and being approved for the coastal zones.
“I still don’t see enough attention being paid to building the resilience of our water resources, and in many cases, the water resources that we use are our surface water resources, except for Bermuda and Barbados,” said Springer.
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Speaking further, he said, “We saw some extensive damage being done to the water sector and Dominica, which, perhaps of all the countries in the Caribbean, is the one that has developed a culture of resilience to climate change and is moving steadfastly to build its resilience to climate change.”
Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at The University of the West Indies, Mona campus, Professor Michael Taylor, explained that there is an inherent vulnerability in the Caribbean to climate change, which has been having a multiplier effect.
“We are in this tropical belt in this extreme weather alley… and so we can’t escape this,” he said. “Our size, we are small islands, we live on coastlines, so everything that you can think of that is major such as our cities, electricity infrastructure, health centres, all exist within a few kilometres of the coast”.
He maintained that if you try to get away from the coastline, in most territories, the steep, hilly, rugged interior adds another sensitivity to the climate.
Story was adapted from the Gleaner.
