CPACC: Caribbean: Planning for Adaptation to Global Climate Change

The Caribbean countries, like other small island and coastal areas, face difficult decisions in confronting the adverse effects of global climate change and associated sea level rise. The costs of adapting to a rise in sea level could be very large compared to the size of the economies of the small island developing countries.

The preliminary Coastal Zone Management Studies of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) indicate that the need to implement strategies to cope with sea level rise is more urgent the previously thought. Natural systems which help protect marine and coastal resources are already being degraded by anthropogenic activities. Mangroves, which buffer the land from storm surges and the sea from land-based sources of pollution, are being depleted. Uncontrolled or ill-conceived development schemes, over-exploitation of living marine resources, and impacts related to urbanization, tourism, and agriculture all contribute to decreased resilience of coastal and marine ecosystems. As a consequence, the vulnerability of coastal resources and infrastructure to sea level rise increases constantly, underscoring the urgent need for an integrated framework for addressing these issues. The difficulties are compounded by the inadequacy of data and lack of either suitable information systems or a coordinated institutional structure to managing coastal and marine resources.

Adding to these existing stresses are the impacts that would be caused by sea level rise as predicted. The Caribbean islands are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise, which is likely to affect freshwater supply and increase beach and coastal erosion and the impact of tropical storms. Since population and economic activities are concentrated in the coastal zone, sea level rise threatens a disproportionate share of industrial, tourism, energy, transport and communications infrastructure. The need for measures to reduce vulnerability cannot be more clear.

The IPCC has calculated first order costs for protection of Caribbean shorelines from future sea level rise, including low coasts, cities and harbors through island elevation, and beach nourishment. Estimates exclude costs for unprotected dry lands, ecosystems that may not be lost, and the impact of saline intrusion and increased storm frequency. With respect to Caribbean island territories, the projected cost of new construction alone is US$11.1 billion, which is well beyond the combined investment capacity of their economies. Other more cost-effective adaptation measures are therefore needed.

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