Disparities in contributions, impacts and, capacity to act within between and among countries is a central issue in climate change Adaptation work. Dubbed the triple climate threat, what we have here is high probability of developed countries snatching the proverbial fruit of the opportunities which will come. And they can; by virtue of having advanced understanding, stronger business systems and the ability to simply appropriate our ideas/opprtunities to fix climate issues in our space.
The scenario is not without precedent; take Tourism as an example. Hawaii undoubtedly has ‘own’ charms but who is to say original Hawaiians are the true beneficiaries of the money made via the hospitality industry in that State? Indeed even the term ‘Aloha’ despite being based on South Sea culture has been exploited by outsiders for decades.
Here in the Caribbean we’ve long sacrificed tourism, education and technical development opportunities on a scale that is now unquantifiable. Who then is to say we cannot lose out on Climate Adaptation opportunities - a near frontier if anything?
Let’s unmask the threat. Despite their size (small compared to the G20 countries) small states such as we in the Caribbean and in the Pacific, are at risk, are literally the first of the world’s populations, economies and ecosystems that may be lost to a hotter Earth. Yet, viability of the countries/peoples/economies and (repeat) - ecosystems within the tropics must not be gifted to those very nations now charged with driving atmospheric CO2 to levels that will support life and systems as we know it.
Unmasking (or demystification) is the hallmark of progressive humanity of any era. When people want to do something, they get together - set aside less important differences and work to a common end. In this time where Sustainable Adaptation is the only sensible way to go, the quicker we of the Small States come to recognise and act against these Climate triple threat issues, the better we secure the birthright of the next generation of island people .
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