Adapting to Climate Change
Climate change is causing tremendous damage and is an escalating threat. Last year the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached 400 parts per million. This is a milestone predicted by the science and it promises dire consequences for the planet with global temperatures and sea-levels rising exponentially. Caribbean communities are on the front lines of this crisis and are faced with difficult choices.
- There is a limit to how much disaster relief funding can be sustainable with annually recurring hurricanes. The cost of insurance will become unsustainable and without access to insurance, investment in Caribbean communities will become unsustainable.
- Tourism requires a safe environment. Without survivable infrastructure tourism GDP will decline and bankrupt Caribbean communities.
- Hospitality and tourism industries require a large pool of local labor. A sufficient local resident labor force requires physical and financial security to be viable.
- It is not enough to rebuild municipal, hospitality and high-end residential structures. Survivable structures need to become the standard for the residents who make up the labor force for the community to be sustainable.