Transcript global changes and risk management - 5th World Water Forum Content

GLOBAL CHANGES AND RISK
MANAGEMENT
A Caribbean Perspective
5th World Water Forum
16-22 March, 2009
Presented by: Hon. Dr. Horace Chang
Minister of Water and Housing
Jamaica
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Background
 Potential Impact of Climate Change on
Region
 Impact of Recent Hurricanes
 Response of SIDS
 Rationale for Special Consideration for
SIDS
 Recommendations
 Conclusion

BACKGROUND
51 states and territories are categorized as
Small Island Developing States
 there are 20 SIDS within the Caribbean
region
 SIDS face certain unique environmental
and socio-economic vulnerabilities
 climate change is the single biggest threat
to the existence, human habitats, natural
resources and economic viability of SIDS

Potential Impact of Climate
Change on Region
major obstacle to the achievement of
sustainable development
 will worsen impact of existing
development challenges
 environmental degradation
 more extreme events (e.g. intense
hurricanes and serious drought)
 serious implications for water and food
security

Impact of Recent Hurricanes

Grenada - Hurricane Ivan in 2004
 90 % of housing stock and 80% of
agricultural assets destroyed
 annihilated the nutmeg (a spice) crop
 damages amounted to 2.4 billion
Eastern Caribbean dollars (200 percent
of that country’s GDP at the time)
Impact of Recent Hurricanes
 Haiti
– Hurricanes Fay Gustav,
Hanna and Ike in 2008
total devastation especially in rural
communities
 mud flows flooded valleys and towns
 approximately 800 lives lost
 country’s agricultural harvest
estimated at 200 million Haitian dollars
was lost

Response of SIDS
at forefront of the global efforts to
address climate change
 established the Caribbean Community
Climate Change Centre
 implementation of the Barbados
Programme of Action drawn up in 1994
 implementation of Mitigation and
Adaptation measures

Rationale for Special
Consideration for SIDS

Social Conscience
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SIDS account for less than one percent of global
greenhouse gases yet bear the brunt of the impacts of
climate change
Ecological and Cultural Diversity

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great beauty and rich cultures attract visitors
worldwide
unique and rich wildlife
one in every ten of the world’s bird species live on
only one island
one-sixth of the entire world’s threatened plant
species live only on islands
Coral reefs among the richest and most beautiful
ecosystems on Earth, a single reef can be home to
3,000 different species,
Rationale for Special
Consideration for SIDS
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Expansion of world markets
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SIDS have the potential to provide new
markets for the developed world
Global Village
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climate change is a global phenomenon and its
effects will ultimately be felt everywhere
if we can find the solutions to SIDS we are one
step closer to solving the global challenges
Recommendations

Direct financial assistance to address
sustainable development issues
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sustainable development is costly
the region has limited capital
grants and low interest loans (<5%) needed
Debt relief
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region struggling with ever increasing
external debt burden e.g. Jamaica’s current
debt burden exceeds 100 percent of GDP
Creative approaches can be employed e.g.
selling of carbon credits in exchange for debt
reduction
Recommendations (cont’d)

Technological Transfer
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technological interventions required already
exist
significant savings if countries facilitate the
sharing of technical information through
education and training
Capacity building
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need for increased capacity within the region
to deal with climate change particularly in
policy design and formulation and
management of natural resources
some progress made but more needs to be done
Recommendations (cont’d)
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Creating an enabling environment
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governments must commit to creating, or
improving the institutional and legislative
framework necessary to promote sustainable
development
Research and Development
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universities in the region must undertake
research to enhance our capacity to deal with
climate change
research needed in:
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alternate sources of energy e.g. bio fuel and solar
energy
the development of drought tolerant crops and
livestock
Conclusion
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development cannot be held hostage to the
environment
the greatest threat to the environment is poverty
and it is only through development that we can
overcome poverty
the challenges are enormous but not
insurmountable
financial assistance; debt relief; technological
transfer; capacity building; an enabling
environment and research are stepping stones to
our goals
THE END