BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Federation is one of several Small Island Developing States that could be hard hit by Climate Change in the coming years.
This is the view expressed by Senior UWI Lecturer at Mona Campus, Tannisha Stephenson, when she spoke to local media representatives at the recent launch of an NGO called Green Solutions International at the University of the West Indies Open Campus in Fortlands.
She posited that Climate Change is real and over the next 10 to 15 years the implications for countries in the region would be serious.
Stephenson pointed to the spread of the Dengue virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses as one of the issues that islands such as St. Kitts and Nevis would have to grapple with.
“The change in the climate can speak to a number of things; like the changes in temperature which would have a serious impact on us. For example, Dengue transmission or vector borne diseases.”
She noted that currently there are extreme weather patterns which need to be taken into consideration, including droughts, which many islands like St. Kitts and Nevis experienced over the years.
Stronger hurricanes and heavy unseasonal rainfalls are also expected in the years ahead.
“We could speak to stronger hurricanes in the future which would impact coastal flooding, towns and cities, as well as have an impact on a number of economic activities within the Caribbean. So, within that context where we see our climate changing, these are some of the areas where the impacts would be felt, as well as tourism.”
Officials within St. Kitts and Nevis have over the last several years taken various initiatives to deal with the possible effects of the continued change in climatic conditions.
Currently, there are a number of workshops being conducted by NEMA to deal with the topic of Climate Change.
Asked what small countries like St. Kitts and Nevis could do to adapt to the changes, Stephenson said there are a number of initiatives that could be implemented.
“Mitigation, I think, is critical...by minimising the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere you will be saving energy. Think also about transportation; think about conserving on water; adapting to climate change.
“If we are anticipating a dry period, water harvesting is important. Then there is education. There is always room in our schools and the community to learn about Climate Change and things that we can do as individuals and communities to respond.”
She reiterated that saving energy and water are very critical to develop a nation’s resilience to fight major impacts of Climate Change in the region.
