The World Meteorological Organisation in May 2023 stated there is a 98 percent chance that at least one of the next five years will be the hottest ever recorded, and a 66 percent chance that at least one year will exceed the 1.5°C threshold. Human activity continues to intensify greenhouse gas levels, pushing temperatures to never recorded highs. Global records are already being broken. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2021) reported global surface temperature has increased faster since 1970 than in any other 50-year period over at least the last 2000 years, and greenhouse gas c
Such changes will have significant repercussions for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The UWI Global Institute for Climate Smart and Resilient Development, and the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, in May 2023, cautioned that El Niño will contribute to very hot days and nights, more heat waves, and dry to very dry conditions. Moreover, the very warm Caribbean Sea could provide ideal conditions for a very strong hurricane to develop in the Caribbean. Is the Caribbean population ready to cope with hotter temperatures?
If global warming rises above 1.5°C, and the projected record-breaking temperatures by 2028 occur, the Caribbean will experience loss of lives and livelihoods, decreased food and water security, and degradation of human health and well-being. Climate sensitive sectors, for example agriculture, tourism, and fisheries dependent on coral reefs, will be affected by record high temperatures. If global temperatures overshoot 1.5°C, as much as 70–90 percent of reef-building corals will be lost, fisheries will be disrupted, and crop wilting due to hotter temperatures will result in declining yields.
Caribbean SIDS need to urgently embrace a blending of policies, fiscal incentives, and new digital technologies as an adaptation response to hotter temperatures.
Getting Caribbean people ready to cope with a record hot year by 2028 calls for exploring innovative solutions. A multi-disciplinary approach incorporating urban planning, urban design and architecture can contribute to reducing urban heat stress on the population. Measures may include designing cooler buildings using traditional architecture, working with nature to enhance shade in urban areas through greening/landscaping, and building green roofs which shade building surfaces, deflect radiation from the sun, and release moisture into the atmosphere. Tax credits can be offered to construct green roofs.
Caribbean islands enjoy land and sea breezes which temper heat. Urban planning and design can facilitate the cooling effects of land and sea breezes by opening-up waterfronts, riverways and rehabilitating urban parks. Digital transformation also provides opportunities for persons to transact business using mobile devices instead of leaving their residence or workplace to access some public and private services. Less physical mobility can lower heat stress. Caribbean SIDS need to urgently embrace a blending of policies, fiscal incentives, and new digital technologies as an adaptation response to hotter temperatures.
At the 16th Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Council of the Management of Social Transformations (MOST) meeting held at UNESCO, Paris in April 2023, Professor Michelle Mycoo, in her capacity as Vice President of the Scientific Advisory Committee of MOST, presented in the panel “The Bridges Coalition”. The Coalition convenes leading experts for cutting-edge intellectual debates on the biggest social development challenges and opportunities, and gathers academic institutions advancing sustainability science.
