–urges other Caribbean countries to follow suit

DR. KENRICK Leslie, Executive Director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, has hailed Guyana’s commitment and political leadership shown over the years with regard to climate change as a model for other regional governments to follow.In an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA) in Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Leslie said Guyana continues to be at the forefront of efforts to ensure climate change adaptation takes the front seat in the Caribbean, one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to the effects of climate change.

“Guyana, so far in terms of the Region, has taken on the leadership role in advancing the issues of climate change…by working through COTED. It was President (Bharrat) Jagdeo and Prime Minister (Stephenson) King who got on the agenda the idea of putting together a portfolio of projects. This meeting right now going in St Vincent has been led by Guyana,” Dr Leslie said.

President Donald Ramotar was instrumental in getting the ongoing Caribbean Community Inter-Sessional Meeting in St Vincent to include on the agenda the issue of climate change; and Dr Leslie has urged other Caricom leaders to take a page from Guyana’s book and show more political will to address the issue of climate change.

Meanwhile, the CCCC head warned the Caribbean not to see climate change as something of the future. “Climate change is here. You saw, in terms of the frequency of extreme weather events, those are some of the indicators that the climate is changing,” he reasoned. “But, more importantly, people don’t realize that the sea level is rising, at this time at a rate of five millimetres per year; and they might say ‘five millimetres, what is that?’ But in ten years, five millimetres will become 50 millimetres, and in terms of the English system, that’s two inches; in 30 years, that is six inches. Now, consider the sea level rising a further six inches in Guyana, or Suriname or Belize,” Dr Leslie reasoned.

A study from the University of Hawaii has indicated that by 2035, there will be real evidence of change in the climate of the planet. That is a mere 21 years from now, but Dr Leslie warned that, already, changes are being seen. “Therefore we need to have our political leaders become very knowledgeable of what is being negotiated…. Technical people can negotiate at the technical level, but the final decisions are made at the political level; and therefore, if our political leaders are not cognisant with what is going on, then we will fail in terms of getting what is needed for the adaptation that we have to make,” he reasoned.

(GINA)