With the ravages of climate change continually making its presence felt in the Caribbean in ways that have a profound negative effect on several countries, regional governments are beginning to raise questions about the region’s capacity to continually cope with the costs associated with having to fend off the phenomenon. The concern, reportedly, was the central focus of the 112th meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) convened virtually on Wednesday May 15th as an already embattled Caribbean prepares itself for what are likely to be demanding global negotiations as countries around the world forage around for financial resources to mitigate the extremes of climate change.
Arising out of the recent meeting, participants, including high level officials and ministers of governments, again tagged “threats to biodiversity, economic uncertainty due to external shocks, and limited institutional and financial capacity” as being among the region’s key concerns, familiar as they are with the shifts in climate behaviour and their devastating consequences. Some of the stark realities of the region’s climate change dilemma were set out by CARICOM’s Assistant Secretary General, Joseph Cox, who reportedly underlined the critical importance of global engagement in tackling the challenges of climate change, never mind the fact that there, CARICOM countries are certain to encounter a lengthy queue comprising countries facing climate and other challenges facing other countries.
The May meeting is reportedly being seen by CARICOM member countries as a precursor to the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States SIDS (SIDS4), which will take place in Antigua and Barbuda from May 2nd to 30th and which will bring together leaders from small island developing countries, world leaders and partners from other countries that have committed to providing support in tackling the challenges associated with climate change.
