Premier urges residents to learn more about climate change

~~Adz:Right~~ Roadtown, Tortola - Premier and Minister for Tourism Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE today issued another appeal for residents of the Territory to learn more about climate change as the Territory joined in the observation of Caribbean Tourism Day.

Delivering a message in honour of the occasion, Premier O’Neal said the theme for the observance Tourism – Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change is quite timely.

“Climate change has the potential to affect our way of life, with its far-reaching consequences, especially for islands such as ours,” the Premier said in the message which was aired on radio and read in schools throughout the Territory today,

Given the predictions of rising sea levels and temperatures globally and an increase in extreme weather conditions, Honourable O’Neal said “we have to be extremely concerned because the BVI’s tourism industry relies heavily on our physical product.”

He further stated that “anything that threatens the Territory’s environment is also a threat to our vital tourism industry.”

According to the Minister for Tourism, Government is well aware of the importance of climate change, placing it as a separate subject under the portfolio of the Minister for Natural Resources and Labour.
“I urge you my fellow residents of these beautiful Virgin Islands not to dismiss climate change as a distant concept but to recognise its relevance and potential impact on tourism.”

Premier O’Neal also revealed that Government has begun assessing the vulnerability of the tourism sector given the potential impact of climate change.

“A local multi-disciplinary team is conducting the Climate Change Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) of the Virgin Islands Tourism Sector,” the Premier stated.

He added that “the goal is to determine the resilience of the British Virgin Islands’ physical tourism product to withstand the impact of climate change and the ability of the sector to implement adaptation strategies.”

According to the Premier and Tourism Minister, the ultimate objective will be to “integrate adaptation strategies into the policy planning and decision making processes to ensure that we reduce our vulnerability.”

The vulnerability and capacity assessment is expected to be completed in December next year.
The BVI Tourist Board uses the annual observation of Caribbean Tourism Day as part of ongoing efforts to increase public awareness of the importance of tourism, one of the main economic pillars of the Territory.