By: Staff Writer
July 29, 2022
The World Meteorological Organisation says in their “State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), 2021” report that while climate change is posing a serious threat to low-lying coastal areas forcing people to migrate to better areas, there are some bright spots amid the challenges particularly in the ongoing coral reef restoration efforts in the Caribbean.
In the opening summary, Mario Cimoli, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Acting Executive Secretary, said that: “Rising sea levels and warming oceans are threatening the health of marine and coastal ecosystems. Drought, landslides, saltwater intrusion, extreme heat and human-induced land use changes have contributed to deforestation rates reaching their highest levels in 15 years. This trend is impacting terrestrial ecosystems, near-shore urban developments and other human settle- ments, as well as sustainable livelihoods, soil productivity and tourism opportunities.
“In the meantime, melting glaciers, mega-droughts, extreme rainfall and flooding are putting food production and water security at risk for both rural and urban populations across the region. The devastation caused by the frequency and ferocity of extreme hydro-climatic events in the Caribbean is especially overwhelming for the small island, low-lying and coastal States of the subregion.
Addressing these emerging issues takes an “integrated effort,” Mr Cimoli added and hailed the coral reef restoration efforts in the Caribbean as a prime example of this integrated approach.
“On small islands, the vulnerability of communities, especially those relying on coral reef systems for livelihoods, may exceed adaptation limits well before 2100. The impacts of climate change on vulnerable low-lying and coastal areas present serious threats to the ability of land to support human life and livelihoods. Although the drivers and outcomes are highly context-specific, climate-related migration is expected to increase on small islands, including in the Caribbean region.”
The report added: ”Ongoing coral reef restoration projects in Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean and eastern Tropical Pacific are being developed. These aim to provide alternative, sustainable livelihood opportunities for local populations, and to promote coral reef conservation for re-establishing a self-sustaining, functioning reef ecosystem. This may have strong positive impacts on tourism, local economies, fisheries and food security for local populations.
The report also said: The impacts of climate change on vulnerable low-lying and coastal areas present serious threats to the ability of land to support human life and livelihoods. Although the drivers and outcomes are highly context-specific, climate-related migration is expected to increase on small islands, including in the Caribbean region.”
“In the Caribbean region, below-normal rainfall was recorded in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and the small Caribbean islands. For example, in much of Guadeloupe, annual rainfall was 10 percent–50 percent below normal.”
It added: “In the Caribbean, several countries experienced some level of moderate drought, particularly Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and some parts of Cuba. Saint Croix, in the United States Virgin Islands, had its fourth driest year on record, with annual precipitation the lowest recorded since 1965, and groundwater levels were at record lows, similar to those of 2016.
The report also noted: “The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the economies of the countries in the region, especially the most vulnerable economies in the Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS). The state of the public finances, already weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic, increased the risks to the countries of other disasters. The combined effect of COVID-19 and hydrometeorological hazards contributed to a slowing of progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and especially SDGs 1 and 2, no poverty and zero hunger.”
According to the latest analysis of the ECLAC, “extreme events, in particular persistent drought, have exacerbated the damaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social and economic prospects of the countries in the region, especially the Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS). The tourism sector, a key driver of economic growth in those countries, came to a complete halt across the economy. The accumulated losses of this sector in the Caribbean are anticipated to range between US$ 53bn and US$ 75bn during the period 2020 to 2023. This subregion will be, relatively, the most affected in the LAC region, given its smaller population and the weight of tourism in its economies, and the losses will have negative consequences on the level of employment in the sector, with a gender bias.
“Floating sargassum is beneficial at sea, mainly as a unique pelagic habitat. However, its drifting to and accumulation on the coastlines has significant negative impacts on tourism and other biophysical and socioeconomic sensitive sectors. This issue therefore represents an emerging hazard for the Caribbean countries, which are already subject to numerous others. Indeed, various countries in the Caribbean have declared national states of emergency with respect to sargassum.”