Scientists studying the effects of climate change on small island states are being hosted in Belize for the next two days, as they share their findings on this Global phenomenon impacting small economies like Belize and sister nations of the Caribbean region.
While industrialized countries are blamed for one of the main causes of climate change, that is, the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, smaller nations seem to be feeling the brunt of its effects; just look at Belize's weather damaged reef and you'll know that to be true.
In a move directed at encouraging scientists from the region to participate in global scientific research efforts, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is hosting the workshop along with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre. Today Seven News spoke with two of the key panelists on how economies of the region have been impacted.
Dr. Kris Ebi - Head, IPCC Tech Support Unit
"This is a first time that the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change has held a regional meeting, so we're very excited about these meetings. We've held two so far: one in Asia and one in South America; this is the third and the fourth is going to be in Africa. And it's an opportunity of the scientists, in this case who work in small Island States, to come together and talk about the research that they're doing to make sure that it's put into a format that can be accessed Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change and so can become a part of the assessment. So all of this rich knowledge can then inform the conlusions that will come out in 2014 when the working group to contribution is concluded."
Jim McFadzean
"Dr. Leslie, how has climate change - and has there been any research specifically in Belize as to how is Belize is suffering from climate change - do we know?"
Dr. Kenrick Leslie - Executive Director, CCCCC
"The answer to that is that we do know the extent. But we do know that the impacts are already being manifested in various ways. One of the areas we always talked about is the question of the coral reef, and we know that the temperatures of the Caribbean Sea is well above what is considered to give rise to a healthy reef. As a result, we have been conducting along with the University of the West Indies, University of Belize, and a number of research programs, in fact, the Center has been able to put together some very critical research stations. One is in Discover Bay, Jamaica, which is jointly manned by NOAA and the Center. We are now in the process of putting another one in Belize that will be operated by the University of Belize, and later on, a second station in Belize, because the Barrier Reef being so long, we can have different parts. We can extend this to the Eastern Caribbean as well."
Jim McFadzean
"How can small economies such as Belize confront the effects of climate change?"
Dr. Kris Ebi
"There is an international process that is working on negotiations around this very issue. One of the outcomes of the last round of negotiations that came out of Cancun in December, was that the industrialized countries said that they are committing up to a 100 billion dollars a year to help smaller economies, particularly the small island states and other very vulnerable countries, adapt to the changes that they are seeing."
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Gaspar Vega is expected to address the participants tomorrow morning.
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