Small Islands, Big Impact:

Climate Change in the Caribbean

Strategies for getting the message out

4 December 2008

Based on a presentation prepared by CANARI for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, UK for the UK Overseas Territories

Presentation outlinePresentation outline

• The CANARI climate change programme and its partners

• What are the key messages?• How will we be affected?• How can we respond to the changes?• How can we disseminate the messages?

CANARI Climate CANARI Climate change programmechange programme• Climate change and biodiversity in the insular Caribbean project

(MacArthur Foundation)

• Series of guidebooks, leaflets and videos on Climate change in the UK Overseas Territories (Joint Nature Conservation Committee, UK)

• Capacity building of civil society (Commonwealth Foundation):– Workshop engaging civil society organisations, the media and

performance artists/drama-in-education practitioners

– Development of a ‘Climate change communications toolkit’ for community-based organisations

• Design of a public education and outreach project to address key elements of the Caribbean Regional Climate Change Adaptation Public Education and

Outreach (PEO) Strategy

Key messages:Key messages:Climate change is a Climate change is a pressing issuepressing issue

• There have been natural and cyclical variations in the Earth’s climate in the past, but the current rate of change is faster than anything the planet has experienced before.

Photo courtesy: N

ASA

& U

SGS

Key messages: Key messages: Climate Climate change will have profound change will have profound effects on our liveseffects on our lives

• For the Caribbean region in the 21st century, there is a fairly high level of certainty that:

• Air and sea temperatures will increase;

• Rainfall will change, with some regions becoming drier and others wetter;

• Sea level rise will accelerate and be between 0.2 to 0.5m;

• Hurricanes are likely to become more powerful.

Key message: Key message: Caribbean Caribbean islands have much to loseislands have much to lose

• The economies of Caribbean islands depend on a narrow range of goods or services

• They have high communication and transportation costs and are vulnerable to natural hazards

• Certain Caribbean ecosystems that are important to human well-being are identified as “most vulnerable”

Inherent vulnerabilities + climate change = increased risk

Climate change impacts Climate change impacts in the Caribbeanin the Caribbean1. Livelihoods - Tourism• Impacts on marine and coastal environments will

affect seaside tourism in Caribbean islands• New carbon taxes and charges will increase air

travel costs • Greater awareness of the impacts of air travel may

affect tourists’ willingness to come to the Caribbean• Milder temperatures elsewhere may create attractive

alternative destinations

Climate change impacts Climate change impacts in the Caribbeanin the Caribbean2. Food Security

• Increased sea temperature and salt water intrusion into rivers may substantially affect fisheries in Caribbean islands.

• Agriculture will be affected by changing growing seasons, drought and water shortages, and increased storm intensity

• Northern ‘buy local’ campaigns are altering patterns of supply and demand.

Climate change impacts Climate change impacts in the Caribbeanin the Caribbean3. Infrastructure • Sea level rise and storms will directly affect critical

infrastructure in the coastal zone such as ports, airports, houses and businesses.

• Disruption from flooding and infrastructural damage also affects communications and economic and social sectors (e.g. tourism, agriculture, health care delivery)

Climate change impacts Climate change impacts

in the Caribbeanin the Caribbean4. Economic and financial impacts • Direct costs from damage to infrastructure, human

settlements, crops etc.

• Indirect costs from lost earnings from tourism, fisheries or loss of ecosystem services.

• Hurricanes can be particularly costly: the damage from Ivan in Grenada was estimated at 200% of GDP (EC$2.4 billion).

5. Coastal and marine resources

Climate Change Impacts Climate Change Impacts in the Caribbeanin the Caribbean

5. Coastal and marine resources

Sea level rise will mean:

• coastal flooding

• saltwater contamination of groundwater

• coastal erosion compounded by intensifying hurricanes

• potential loss of wetlands and mangroves - “coastal squeeze”

Climate Change Impacts Climate Change Impacts in the Caribbeanin the Caribbean

Climate Change Impacts Climate Change Impacts in the Caribbeanin the Caribbean

High temperatures are causing mass coral mortality from bleaching events and diseases outbreaks.

This can be reduced by better management and protected areas.

5. Coastal and marine resources (cont.)

Other Climate Change Other Climate Change Impacts in the CaribbeanImpacts in the Caribbean6. Water Resources• Changes in rainfall will affect

water supplies in many countries• Ground water supplies face

possible threats from contamination by salt water

7. Health• Increased risk of vector-borne

diseases, such as dengue

Local management and Local management and climate change adaptationclimate change adaptation

Management of natural resources and biodiversity at the regional, national and community level can reduce the impacts of climate change.

• Reforestation and forest conservation• Watershed management• Treatment of waste water • Control of mosquito habitats• Coastal buffer zones• Protected area management

Local management and Local management and climate change adaptationclimate change adaptation

Clem McPherson

Rupert McKenna

Speyside Marine Area

Community-Based

Management Project

Key messageKey message: Adaptation : Adaptation is a ‘no regrets’ strategy is a ‘no regrets’ strategy with immediate benefitswith immediate benefitsAdaptation is an opportunity to improve:

• natural resource management and physical planning

• ability to deal with the natural hazards as well as the growing human-induced stresses on the environment.

• Adaptive responses can be:– Technological (e.g. improving coastal defences)– Managerial (e.g. introducing crop rotation)– Policy-based (e.g. strengthening planning regulations) – Behavioural (e.g. preparing one’s home for a

hurricane)

Meeting Multiple Objectives Meeting Multiple Objectives though Adaptationthough Adaptation

Disaster Management

Biodiversity & Sustainable Development

Climate Adaptation

Triple Dividend

Key message: Good climate Key message: Good climate policy should adapt policy should adapt andand mitigate. mitigate.

• Although Caribbean islands make a small contribution to global emissions of greenhouse gases, they can play their part in mitigation by:

– enhancing energy efficiency

– diversifying their energy sources

– increasing reliance on non fossil fuel sources of energy

– promoting climate friendly technologies

– advocating collectively for the mitigation measures needed in the major industrialised countries

Collectively small efforts can Collectively small efforts can make a big differencemake a big difference• You can make a difference by:

– Reducing personal vulnerability to natural hazards

– Reducing energy use in transportation and in the home

– Practicing good environmental habits e.g. recycling, conservation

– Improving business practices e.g. clean energy, waste reduction/recycling

– Advocating for implementation of national adaptation plans and sustainable development policies

– Advocating for a stronger Caribbean voice in international negotiations

– Informing others about climate change and what they can do

Creating the ripple effect: building on Creating the ripple effect: building on Caribbean talent and culture for public Caribbean talent and culture for public education and outreacheducation and outreach

I DON’T WANNA WASH AWAYI don’t wanna wash away I don’t wanna lose another dayYou can’t make me float awayLose my land and all my saySeas are rising, try to reach the moonBeaches splicing, dicing, disappearing Political goons acted just like foolsMy land is gone so soonTemperature is rising, competing with the sunI itch, I burn, I thirst….

Using key change agents Using key change agents and “champions” as and “champions” as channels of informationchannels of information

• media;

• youth;

• NGOs and CBOs;

• Artists and theatre-in-education professionals;

• sportspersons;

• UNFCC National Focal Points;

• communities that are particularly vulnerable to climate change;

• extension officers (e.g. agriculture, fisheries);

• school teachers

Core public education and Core public education and awareness strategiesawareness strategies

• Building the cadre of “champions” via facilitated dialogue with scientists

• Developing a community of Artistes Weathering Climate Change – Region-wide concerts by conscious performance artists

– Developing drama-in-education materials

• National climate change workshops

• Providing relevant information to the media

• Building partnerships between NGOs and the media

• Conducting local research, (e.g. Sandwatch)

• Collecting traditional knowledge (e.g. Panos)

• Video, television, YouTube etc.