Caribbean Gets Ready for the Challenges of Climate Change

Contact: Rose Marie Harris

Monday, October 30, 2000 – Countries of the Caribbean region are now pooling their resources together to deal with the many challenges being posed by the climate change phenomenon. Speaking during a National Communications Meeting on Climate Change on Monday, Minister for Planning, Development, Housing and the Environment, Honourable Dr. Walter Francois, described the weather phenonomen as one of the greatest challenges facing mankind and therefore should be cause for grave concern. Dr. Francois called for the institution of strategies to ensure that the earth and its resources are secured for the future.

One of the areas of climate change that will impact on small island developing states is sea level rise and according to the minister this will lead to the disappearance of coral reefs and the subsequent death of certain coral species. "This in turn will affect fisheries production as well as the ability of reefs to protect our coastlines. Sea level rise is also likely to lead to the inundation of low lying coastal areas, the salinization of agricultural lands and salt-water intrusion onto aquifers. These impacts will obviously affect the ability of small islands to feed their people and maintain a reliable, adequate water supply," the minister added.

Islands of the Caribbean are being called upon to determine their vulnerabilities and take adaptive measures as well as force the contributors to the climate change phenomenon to take decisive action to arrest this trend.

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