By IANS
Santo Domingo : Climate change is posing a threat to the economies of the small islands in the Caribbean that are vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, according to a UN expert, Spain’s EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
Ricardo Sanchez, regional director of the United Nations Environment Programme, told a press conference Tuesday that the Caribbean islands “are on the front line of the battle against climate change due to their level of vulnerability”.
Sanchez was speaking at the 16th meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Environment Ministers’ Forum being held here from Jan 27 to Feb 1.
“All these climatic elements and phenomena that are intensifying affect the economies of these small developing island states,” Sanchez said.
He said one of the consequences of climate change is the warming of the oceans, which will affect coral reefs in the Caribbean, “a basic element for tourism development”.
Leonie Barnaby, a senior official of Jamaica’s ministry of land and environment, said besides tourism, climate change would have a negative effect on the water supplies and health of the people.
Climate change, reduction of contaminating emissions, efficient use of energy, water purification and drainage, territorial organisation and human settlements are some of the issues being discussed at the conference. Environment ministers from 16 countries are participating.