2024 could be a particularly challenging year for the Caribbean, not only because of the common challenges associated with economies too fragile to meet the growing needs of the respective countries of the region, but, as well, on account of the ruinous effects of climate change, a phenomenon that manifests itself mostly in devastating natural disasters that wreak havoc on sectors that are directly connected to the physical infrastructure of the region, not least those sectors that are inextricably linked to survival and growth.
A matter of days ago, the Barbados-based Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) delivered the grim news that 2024 is likely find the Caribbean battling climate extremes that could retard its efforts to deal with ongoing regional challenges, including food security. The most recent CariCOF Climate Outlook released in Barbados earlier this month, makes clear its concern that the three month period up to July, this year, will witness a return to “normal ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific and a near record warm Tropical North Atlantic Ocean forecast” that will cause the region to enter “an intense heat season with recurrent heat waves”, according to a May 7th Barbados Nation report.