“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges that we are facing in today’s world; it is particularly important for us in the Caribbean and for a country like Trinidad and Tobago,” says ECSP Director and Trinidad-native Roger-Mark De Souza in an upcoming documentary by Sustain T&T, a non-profit based in the islands.

Caribbean states face higher storm surges, more extreme weather, sea level rise, and second-order effects, like increased resource scarcity and flooding. The goal of the documentary, A Sea Change, is to examine how these changes are affecting the country but also explore peoples’ awareness of them. “One of the more alarming things is that people in general don’t understand the concept of climate change,” Carver Baccus, director of Sustain T&T, told a local newspaper. “They see the negative effects but are not able to make the connection to climate change, and as a result they feel quite powerless.”

It’s not just climate changes, but also human changes that have compounded the environmental challenge in recent years. “I remember what it is to be a child in Diego Martin, growing up in the hills and playing and having a good time with my cousins,” says De Souza. “When I go back home now, I am surprised and dismayed at the development that has taken place, the hillsides that have been cut down… There is increased flooding…and that flooding is in part accelerated by climate change.” Driven by abnormal rains but also slash-and-burn farming techniques and poor development, serious flooding has struck the islands multiple times over the last few years, washing away crops and destroying infrastructure.

In addition to material destruction, climate change is also affecting livelihoods in Trinidad and Tobago. “Fishermen are directly impacted, as is agricultural production and food production,” De Souza says. These trends may complicate future food security:

A recent analysis by the World Bank has looked at the impact of climate change on agricultural production globally and has demonstrated that there’s a need for a significant increase in food production to meet basic human needs. For us in the Caribbean and in Trinidad and Tobago, this is all the more acute because of our limited land space and the interaction of the different ecosystems which produce additional stress. …This is all the more important when we take into account concerns such as population growth, increasing urbanization, and the impact on women.

“It is quite clear that climate change affects us at a personal level, it affects us at the level of our families, it affects us at the level of our communities, and it affects us nationally,” says De Souza. “It is something that we must be aware and we must take action on.”

But, he notes, “while climate change is a threat, it is also a great opportunity for us to think about ways that we can help improve our lives and address these challenges.”

One project that takes an empowering approach towards climate change adaptation and resilience is a joint Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UN Development Program (UNDP) effort in Sans Souci (“Big Bay”). The aim of the project is to evaluate the area’s vulnerability to climate change – higher tides, larger storm surges, and increased erosion have been observed – determine community knowledge about these risks, and develop a plan to address them using a participatory process.

“This is the only attempt along these lines that’s happening in Trinidad and Tobago,” he says. But, thanks to some unique circumstances, there’s an opportunity for the small island nation to become a global leader in climate change adaptation and resilience.

First, De Souza points out, Trinidad and Tobago is actually among the world leaders in per capita carbon dioxide emissions, which puts it in a place to demonstrate dramatic change. Second, there’s a lot of attention being paid in the international arena to how small island nations react to climate changes. Third, as demonstrated by the GEF/UNDP partnership, the country has already hosted some pioneering community-based climate adaptation programs.

“It’s very unusual for an island like Trinidad and Tobago – for a country like Trinidad and Tobago – to have this opportunity on the international stage,” De Souza says. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to demonstrate our innovation, and our resilience, and our leadership on this issue; it really is up to the political leaders and communities to demonstrate that climate change is not just a threat but an opportunity – and we can do it.”

A Sea Change has aired on Trinidadian TV several times and will be available online in the near future.

Sources: Inter Press Service, Guardian, Sustain T&T.

Video Credit: Virtual Carnival.