Principal of CIMH somewhat dissatisfied with island’s ability to withstand climate changes

David Farrell, Principal of the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), is urging countries across the Caribbean region to accelerate their efforts in building climate resilience. Speaking at a recent workshop on National Frameworks for Climate Services, he highlighted that partnerships with all national stakeholders were necessary to effectively prepare for major disasters. Despite progress on regional climate services, he noted a lag at the national level and encouraged more autonomous development of national systems for resilience.

The workshop, held at Accra Beach Resort, was attended by representatives from organizations such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), World Meteorological Organisation, and the US Embassy. Other attendees included key governmental ministries and meteorologists from the Caribbean. The discussions focused on climate services, a topic first initiated a decade ago with still much work to be done according to Farrell.

Farrell emphasized the vulnerability of countries to climate change and the need for resilience against extreme weather. He centred on the importance of proactive efforts at the national level to counter the increasing climate variability and extreme weather events. Farrell held that every country within the region needed to enhance the resilience against the adverse implications of climate change.

He encouraged collaboration with the financial sector and other industries, such as shipping and logistics, which are also grappling with climate change challenges such as the drought in the Panama Canal. Farrell stressed the value of enhancing national level conversation around climate resilience, and reducing dependency on international institutions like CIMH.

Farrell concluded his remarks by emphasizing the necessity to build services that align with the structure of economies and the long-term goals of national governments and policymakers. Such synchronization would better equip these entities with useful information for strategic decision-making, thus fostering a proactive and efficient response to climate variability and climate change.