Jamaica Calls for Better Climate Change Strategies

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is calling for collaboration between Caribbean media interests and public and private sector entities to develop strategies designed to strengthen regional resilience to the impact of climate change.

He noted that Jamaica and the wider Caribbean have a major stake in how the climate change phenomenon is dealt with. Bartlett pointed out that regional economies are predicated on climate-sensitive industries and sectors, such as tourism and agriculture.

The minister noted that several powerful hurricanes and storms had caused catastrophic damage across sections of the Caribbean last year, resulting in economic losses exceeding US $100 billion and inestimable loss of life of about 200 persons.

And he pointed out that a World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) industry study had indicated that the 2017 hurricane season resulted in an estimated diversion of 826,100 visitors from the Caribbean who would have spent US $74 million and provided sustenance for 11,000 jobs.

Bartlett further noted that the region’s heavy reliance on tourism for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) made the Caribbean particularly vulnerable to these catastrophic events.

In this regard, Bartlett said the Global Resilience and Crisis Management Centre to be established at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, was an important strategy that would be pivotal in building regional resilience to climate change impacts.

The Centre will assist destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that threaten economies and livelihoods globally with real time data and effective communication.

Noting that climate change is a complex issue with enormous political, social and economic implications, Bartlett said there is need for partnerships between the Caribbean media organizations and resilience and crisis management entities across the world to shape public perception in understanding the phenomenon, while helping to influence policies and encourage policymakers to act.

Source: The Daily Herald (St. Maarten)