JAMAICA’S Prime Minister, Andrew Holness has urged Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders to take climate change seriously as it presents a clear and present danger to the region.

PM Holness’ charge comes at a time when Caribbean countries are grappling with the devastation caused by several hurricanes and earthquakes recently. He was at the time speaking at the 27th Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) opening ceremony at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Sunday evening.

Natural disasters, particularly hurricanes and earthquakes occur frequently in the Caribbean, which is viewed by the United Nations (UN) as one of the more vulnerable geographic space in the world. On September 18, Hurricane Maria hammered the small island of Dominica as a Category five storm, leaving 27 dead. This exacerbated an already troubling situation, as Caribbean disaster teams were already stretched across four islands which had been hit 12 days before by Hurricane Irma which was also a Category five storm. One of those countries was Antigua and Barbuda which was forced to have all of its citizens living in Barbuda evacuated and transferred to Antigua.

In light of the challenges posed, Holness said that regional leaders must understand the importance of climate change, even while he pointed out that in some cases tourism was the single industry, while in many cases a major industry in those islands that were affected. The Jamaica Prime Minister went on to state that: “This time they [CARICOM leaders] must factor in disaster resilience, recovery and adaptation in a systematic and institutional way.

The world has been forced to acknowledge that there is urgent need for responsibility, adaptation and resilience as we recognise our changing realities. Climate change is real and it will disproportionately affect those of us who are least prepared to respond.”

Meanwhile, expressing his concerns about development, Holness explained that the right balance must be found, so that infrastructural growth is not at the expense of the environment. The PM also pointed to the importance of the upcoming United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) sustainable conference which he said is one of the best platforms for the region to examine issues affecting the environment and the sustainability of the industry. That conference will be held in Jamaica from November 27-29.