THE ENVIRONMENT

The Caribbean is unquestionably among the regions in the world most affected by climate change. Our long-term economic development of livelihoods depends on us preserving our fragile ecosystems and their biodiversity. Critically important is also our ability to sustainably harness the value resident in our surrounding seas but this requires protection of it as a vital habitat. Our tourism, fishing and agriculture industries rely on the effective management of natural resources but unfortunately many of those working in these sectors have virtually no incentive to change their production processes, which could be harmful. However, we can change this. We can use the effects of this crisis to create new systems, ventures and solutions which help those who rely on our natural resources for their livelihoods to discover better ways. We can create new approaches through the use of technologies to increase our adaptability to climate change, and produce more environmentally friendly uses of marine and terrestrial resources that still are economically viable. We just need to rise up and respond.