High on the agenda of the recent Caricom summit in St Vincent and the Grenadines was the on-going challenges posed by climate change and sea-level rise to the region.
Heads of Government agreed to establish a task force on climate change and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to provide guidance to Caribbean climate change negotiators, their ministers and political leaders in order to ensure the strategic positioning of the region in the negotiations.
According to the communiqué issued at the end of the inter-sessional meeting, the regional leaders emphasized the need to enhance the region’s engagement in the climate change negotiation process and to increase the region’s access to available climate change financial resources. They cited the recent disasters caused by unusual and unseasonal rainfall in Dominica, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines in December 2013 as reminders of the effects of climate change.
The Heads commended the work of the National Emergency Management Organisations for their effective coordination of relief efforts in their respective jurisdictions; the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) for their rapid and effective response to the situation.
They also commended members of the public, corporate citizens, regional organisations and governments of the community and other countries for the tangible support provided to the affected member states.
Heads of Government also lamented the fact that much of the promised climate financing, resources had not been forthcoming but emphasised the pressing need for the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) to work with member states to have projects prepared to access financing when it did become available.
They committed to participating and engaging in important meetings and fora, including the UN climate change summit in September 2014 and the Third UN SIDS international meeting in Samoa, also in September, the communiqué said.
