Climate change and the Caribbean’s multidimensional vulnerability

By Dr Marlene Attzs, Economist
Email: marlene.attzs@gmail.com

One outcome from the passage of Hurricane Beryl is that most of the Caribbean now is familiar with the term “climate change”. Hurricane Beryl, packing maximum sustained wind speeds of more than 160 mph (257km/h), was one of the earliest Category 5 hurricanes to cross our path and she wreaked havoc in parts of the Caribbean.

In fact, there has only been one previous recorded case of a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in July – Hurricane Emily, on July 16, 2005.

I wouldn’t venture to explain the meteorology or science behind the formation of the hurricane itself, but I will share some insight into the climate change conversation around Beryl.

One of the impacts of global warming is the warming of the sea resulting in higher (warmer) sea surface temperatures. These warmer sea surface temperatures create an ideal scenario for hurricanes to develop.

Guess what, our waters have been warming and the waters along Hurricane Beryl’s path provided suitable conditions for it to gain speed and become the significant hurricane that impacted on many countries, particularly our neighbours in Grenada and St Vincent.

Caribbean countries are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to our geographical location, our heavy dependence on sectors that are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts such as agriculture and tourism, and add to the mix our limited capacity to respond and recover.

All these factors highlight our multidimensional vulnerability to events such as storms and hurricanes—natural hazards generally—and the need for us to build resilience.

How vulnerable are we?

Let’s explore some of the layers of vulnerability we face. First, there are the environmental vulnerabilities caused by our exposure to extreme weather events.

All the climate change scientific evidence suggests the frequency and intensity of hurricanes will increase. The intensity refers to whether the weather events remain storms or “graduate” to hurricanes of Category 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5!

Another aspect of the environmental vulnerability is rising sea levels, driven by global warming, which could lead to coastal erosion and increased flooding risks. Let’s face it, we are small islands surrounded by the Caribbean Sea which means that rising sea levels threaten infrastructure, homes, and critical ecosystems.

Second, economic vulnerability is of paramount importance given that many of our Caribbean neighbours rely heavily on tourism as their main economic drivers and tourism is highly sensitive to climate variability.

Adverse weather—storms or hurricanes —disrupt tourism activities, leading to significant economic losses. The destruction of hotels, beaches, and other attractions during such events has long-term impacts on visitor numbers and revenue.

Agriculture, another key economic sector for many Caribbean countries, is vulnerable to extreme weather. Hurricanes can devastate crops, leading to food insecurity and loss of livelihood for many, especially farming communities. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan impacted the nutmeg industry significantly in Grenada highlighting the fragility of this sector to climate shocks.

Not to be overlooked, extreme weather events damage infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and utilities. The cost of repairing and rebuilding after such events strains national budgets and diverts resources from other critical areas. Many Caribbean countries have both high debt ratios and run persistent budget deficits so when storms or hurricanes occur there is a challenge to access funds for reconstruction. This leads to a dependence on grants or forces the affected country to engage in more borrowing further increasing their debt.

Third, people—particularly vulnerable populations including the aged, poor, differently abled—also are impacted by extreme events and this social vulnerability is manifested in several ways.

Extreme weather events exacerbate health risks, including waterborne diseases, heat stress, and mental health issues. The aftermath of hurricanes often sees a spike in disease outbreaks due to contaminated water and inadequate sanitation. Communities—as seen in Carriacou, Grenada—may have to migrate to other locations once heavily impacted by hurricanes. Loss of homes and livelihoods could result in overcrowded urban areas and increased social tensions.

Then there is the potential disruption to education as schools remain closed or affected families are not able to send children to school.

Addressing these multiple dimensions of the region’s vulnerability requires building capacity to respond and recover while increasing our resilience. We need to continuously review our national frameworks for disaster risk management ensuring they are appropriately resourced. There also should be a deeper public understanding of how these extreme events can impact our day-to-day lives.

The multidimensional vulnerability of Caribbean countries to climate change encompasses environmental, economic, and social dimensions, all of which have been evident in the context of Hurricane Beryl and many of its ‘predecessor’ hurricanes such as Hurricane Ivan (2004) and Hurricane Gilbert (1988).

Addressing these vulnerabilities requires a holistic approach that includes strengthening governance, fiscal management, and enhancing community resilience.

By learning from past experiences and investing in sustainable development, Caribbean nations can better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of future climate-related challenges.

That’s just my point of view!