PowerPoint Presentation
Small Island States Survival in the age of climate change
Implications for Caribbean Nation States
Overview Impact of Climate Change on SIDSSmall States: Inroads
at the International LevelOther Caribbean Initiatives According to
the IPCC SIDS account for less than 1% of Global Greenhouse (GHC)
emission, however, they are one of the most vulnerable of all
locations to the possible adverse effects of climate change.
SIDS are predominantly vulnerable to the effects of climate
change because of Small Island MassesConcentration of
infrastructure and population in coastal areasDependency on natural
resources and Limited economic base combined with limited technical
and Institutional capacity for adaptationRelative Isolation
The Effects of Climate Change on SIDS are seen clearly in this
YouTube video (Note the similarities with Caribbean Small Island
States)
Trinidad and Tobago, on behalf of AOSIS, was the first Party to
submit a draft protocol under the Berlin Mandate, giving small
island states a first-mover advantage in setting the terms of the
protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC)The
Maldives was the first country to sign the protocol after it was
finalizedIn 2003, AOSIS insisted that climate talks should continue
as scheduled, despite suggestions by other parties that they should
be delayedThe most dramatic and overtly effective negotiating
tactics adopted by small states have been their theatrical
interventions in the Conference of the Parties (COP)plenary
sessions. In the COP 15 (Copenhagen 2009) with plenary sessions
broadcast around the world, the small island states were supported
by powerful NGO rallies International commitments and conferences
to support SIDSBarbados International Conference on SIDS (1994
Action Plan), UNGA assessed the Barbados action PlanII
International Conference on SIDS in Mauritius (Outcome Mauritius
Strategy)III International Conference on SIDS in Samoa, Sept 1 -5
2014
Caribbean SIDS and Regional CooperationOpportunities for SIDSThe
Caribbean Community (CARICOM)Establishment of National Emergency
Management Organizations in respective JurisdictionsCaribbean
Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)Caribbean Institute for
Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH)Agreement on the establishment of a
Task Force on Climate Change and SIDS
Association of Caribbean States (ACS)Caribbean Territorial
Information SystemGlobal Geo-Spatial Information System.
CELACCELAC Declarations on Second Summit in HAVANA Regional
commitment to support Haitis rebuild and developmentA comprehensive
approach regarding the Regional Integrated Strategy for Risk
Disasters Reduction
THE CARIBBEAN DISASTER RISK INSURANCE FACILITY (CCRIF) is an
initiative of The World Bank and Caricom. Currently in development,
it is a risk pooling facility owned and registered in the Caribbean
for Caribbean governments. It is designed to limit the financial
impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
Caribbean Association for Sustainable Tourisms Green House
Accreditation ProgramClimate Institutes Small Islands Greening
InitiativeProject of the Caribbean Development Bank to develop
vulnerability indices.
Points to Consider SIDS are ideal locations for pilot projects
in renewable energy and other areas, which can then be rolled out
in other countries on a larger scale. The Maldives, Tuvalu and
several Caribbean island states are working to achieve climate
neutrality through the use of renewable energy and other
approachesTokelau, recently began producing 100% of its energy from
solar sourcesSIDS are also leading the way in ocean conservation
efforts, and some of the largest Marine Protected Areas in the
world are being established in the Pacific.Most of the Attention in
the Caribbean Region has been focused on adaptation measures rather
than mitigationOpportunities however do exist for mitigation
particularly in the areas of alternative fuels and energy
conservationSolar and wind energy is gaining some acceptance in the
region, particularly in Barbados which has an active renewable
energy program
