ALM UNDP

Summary:

Barbados is the most easterly island of the Antilles, bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, with a population of approximately 282,000 people (USDS, 2011). Its terrain is mostly flat but with a hilly interior. The island’s climate is tropical, with annual average temperatures of around 27°C (USDS, 2011). The country’s wet season lasts from June to November, while the dry season lasts from December to May (Wellington and Moore, 2001). In recent years there has been a change in the frequency of rainfall, with an increase the length of dry spells; this change has impacted agricultural production and water supplies (Wellington and Moore, 2001). As the island has no major rivers or surface streams, underground streams are the nation’s main source of water (Wellington and Moore, 2001).

The tourism, sugar, manufacturing, and finance and business sectors are Barbados’ main sources of foreign exchange (Wellington and Moore, 2001). Although sugar production was formerly a considerable contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, economic diversification along with dramatic declines in soil fertility and drought in recent decades have diminished this crop’s importance to the national economy (Wellington and Moore, 2001). The majority of the workforce is employed by the following activities: tourism,government, manufacturing, construction, mining, agriculture and fishing (USDS, 2011). Barbados’ unemployment rate is 10 per cent, per capita income is approximately US$19,000 per year, and the island has a very high adult literacy rate at 99 per cent (USDS, 2011).

Of the numerous impacts of climate change expected, increases in atmospheric temperature, sea level rise (and its attendant impacts of erosion, inundation and saline intrusion), and changes in weather patterns (notably changes in the amount, and seasonality of rainfall, and changes in storm intensity), are expected to pose significant problems to Barbados.During the wet months, most of the rainfall is derived from tropical waves moving across the Atlantic Ocean, along with the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (I.T.C.Z.), which shifts northwards on occasions, especially during the passage of tropical waves. Although during the dry season, upper level troughs and lows and, to a much lesser extent, the tail end of cold fronts which survive after moving off the eastern seaboard of the United States of America, can contribute to the rainfall totals.Numerous adaptation measures and options have been proposed in Barbados: coastal adaptation options, water resource adaptation options, and adaptation options with regards to agriculture - including research on future climatic conditions and the selection of appropriate varieties of crops for cultivation.

A. Adaptation Needs and Priorities
The anticipated impacts of climate change in the country include coastal inundation and sea level rise, an increase in tidal and storm surge levels, coastal erosion, rising temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, and more frequent and severe weather events including drought and tropical storms (Wellington and Moore, 2001). These impacts would have a largely negative impact on the country’s tourism sector, freshwater supply, coastal infrastructure, coral reefs and fisheries. These projected impacts are summarized in Table 1, along with possible adaptation options.

B. National Level Policies and Strategic Documents
The island of Barbados submitted its First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and participates in regional intergovernmental collaboration to address climate change. The government was also the first Caribbean country to create a special body charged with coastal zone management, the Coastal Zone Management Unit.63 In addition, a National Adaptation Strategy to Address Climate Change in the Tourism Sector in Barbados was developed by the Barbados Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies in 2009, and published by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCC). The degree to which this policy has been by the government of Barbados is unclear.

C. Current Adaptation Action
Barbados is currently participating in a high number of adaptation actions. In addition to its involvement in a number of regional projects, Barbados is one of a few Caribbean countries that also is benefitting from nationally-focused adaptation activities. Nationally-focused projects are being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and are focused on coastal zone management, disaster risk management and institutional strengthening.

Regional project activities in Barbados include an United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded project that focuses on vulnerability assessment and capacity building to address climate change in coastal zones and the water sector; the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) funded “Economics of Climate Adaptation Initiative;” and the recently completed Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded project focused on mainstreaming climate considerations into development planning and programming. The government of Switzerland is also funding a project in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago that focuses on research, vulnerability assessment, and policy formation in the freshwater sector. The inter-regional World Health Organization (WHO)-funded “Piloting Climate Change Adaptation to Protect Human Health” project also includes a component in Barbados.

Collectively, the current adaptation projects in Barbados address a number of vulnerable sectors, with a stronger focus on disaster risk management and governance capacity. Most projects involve capacity building, assessment and research activities; few expect to implement adaptation actions on the ground. The projects listed in Table 3 are likely to underrepresent the scope of adaptation work in Barbados. It is possible that the government is engaged in efforts not captured in the table, as some donor funded regional project activities are ongoing that do not specify in which Caribbean countries they are working.

D. Proposed Adaptation Action
In addition to possible actions proposed by the Government of Barbados through its forthcoming Second National Communication, Barbados is a possible recipient of funding through an inter-regional project proposed to the Special Climate Change Fund, as described below.

E. Assessment
Compared to other Caribbean states, there is a considerable amount of ongoing adaptation action in Barbados at the national, regional, and international levels. A number of adaptation projects are occurring in Barbados, and the country appears to be addressing its priority climate change areas of concern. In addition to preparing a National Communication to the UNFCCC, the country has established a Coastal Zone Unit within the government to engage in coastal zone management activities that may assist in reducing its vulnerability to climate change impacts, including changes to infrastructure. The country is also collaborating in intergovernmental initiatives on adaptation to climate change.

Current adaptation projects appear to be addressing the country’s main adaptation priorities, including improving governance capacity, the freshwater sector, agriculture, coastal zone management, and disaster risk reduction. Other areas in which adaptation action is occurring include human health, gender, tourism and strengthening climate information services. Future efforts may address other vulnerabilities, including impacts on fisheries and the built environment, including changes to the building code.

References:

Medeiros,Hove, Keller, Echeverría, Parry (2011) “Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action: The Carribean.” Adaptation Partnership / International Institute for Sustainable Development.

United States Department of State [USDS] (2011). Background Note: Barbados. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/26507.htm

Wellington, C. and R. Moore (eds.) (2001). Barbados’ First National Communications to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). St. Michael (Barbados): Ministry of Physical Development and Environment. Retrieved from http://unfccc.int/essential_background/library/items/3599.php?rec=j&priref=3229#beg