The global climate is changing, and the Caribbean region is feeling the change. Higher global surface temperatures, sea level rise, changes in rainfall patterns, and higher frequency and intensity of extreme events such as floods, droughts and heat waves all threaten the Caribbean with its many small island states.
The potential implications of these climatic changes are enormous, not only from the perspective of risk reduction but also with regards to regional development.
However, the magnitude of the expected challenges ahead will be too big for only one actor to effectively address.
These were some of the views that were expressed at the just concluded Climate Change Adaptation, Development and Disaster Reduction workshop which was held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad by the ProVention Consortium in collaboration with the Caribbean Regional Representation Office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Fifty persons from the Red Cross, civil society organizations, local government, regional organizations, private sector and academic institutions met for two days under the theme: “Strengthening Community Resilience in the Caribbean,” to discuss ways of working together to identify adaptation strategies to deal with the impact of climate change in vulnerable communities.
The main aim of the workshop was to engage stakeholders to work with vulnerable communities in designing strategies to deal with the consequences of climate change specifically in the areas human development and livelihood issues.
Bruno Haghebaet of ProVention said a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral approach was necessary. “From grassroots to policymakers, each individual has a specific role to play.” He explained that research carried out by academic centres will lead to a better understanding of the risks concerned while the media will have an important role to play in communicating risk issues to the general public.
He continued: “Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have important responsibilities in the field of awareness raising and advocacy work; donors play a key role in resource development and capacity building; governments in developing legislative frameworks and implementation of disaster risk reduction measures and the private sector in protecting their work force.”
However, he warned that only involving multiple actors within a specific field was not sufficient. A mixture of climate adaptation measures and sustainable development strategies, as well as poverty reduction initiatives and disaster risk reduction efforts in the region will be required if one does not only want to deal with the symptoms but also address the root causes of vulnerability and increase adaptive capacity.
Mr Haghbaet noted that it was also essential to discuss ways of injecting and integrating lessons learned at the community level and priorities expressed by local voices into the decision making processes as it relates to climate change.
Ms Delia Chatoor, president, Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross (TTRC) said it was heartening to see that the “man-in-the-street” has become aware of climate change and its impact. She said there have been growing concerns from the grassroots level to civil society and governments.
“It is no longer ‘I’ or ‘me’ or ‘you’. It is ‘we’ and ‘us’. The key word is ‘partnership’. We are all being called upon and encouraged to play some part in influencing and shaping policies.”
Mrs Lois Hue, deputy director general, Jamaica Red Cross (JRC) agreed that governments play a central role in disaster risk management sustainable development and climate change. She too alluded to the fact that it was also important for there to be a mixture of climate adaptation measures and sustainable development strategies, as well as poverty reduction initiatives and disaster risk reduction efforts in the region.
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