Stuart Jack

Blog Action Day: The Cayman Islands cannot afford to ignore climate change

15 October is Blog Action Day, when people are being encouraged to write about climate change on their blogs. This is not the first time I have discussed this really important issue since I started my blog in May.

More than many countries the Cayman Islands cannot afford to ignore climate change. Two of the three islands, including the main one where nearly all the population live, are extremely low-lying, located in an active hurricane zone, and partly dependent on dive tourism and hence healthy coral reefs. The possible threats are therefore significant. So Cayman should be making plans now, not waiting until it seriously feels the effects.

So what is this country doing to prepare?  The simple answer is “not yet enough”. There is an excellent Department of Environment who do their best to spread the word (the director last week wrote at some length in the local papers challenging those who still believe climate change is not an issue or is not urgent).

Gradually awareness is growing among others, including politicians (there was welcome mention, albeit low-key, of an adaptation strategy in the government’s recent budget policy statement). Hopefully climate change will from the start be fully factored into a national planning exercise which the new government of McKeeva Bush is undertaking.

The UK is trying to help. DfID is funding a project to help the Overseas Territories work up adaptation strategies – Cayman government departments and my office are closely involved. FCO has also commissioned an expert report on how sea level rise might affect the Cayman Islands. I am hoping to put this on our website later this month.

Posted at 14:35 15 October 2009 by Stuart Jack  |  Comments[0]