Regional Climate Modelling In The Caribbean

The information here represents a compilation of existing and ongoing regional and national climate modelling studies that could be useful in the execution of the regional project The Economics of Climate Change in Caribbean. The report is mainly focused on the sustainable regional efforts that represent opportunities for further developments in climate change scenarios. It describes the different techniques that have been used to model changes in temperature and precipitation in the Caribbean and compares the outputs of these models. Essentially, temperatures are expected to increase while pr…

The impact of climate change on the macroeconomy in the Caribbean

In this study, an attempt is made to assess the economic impact of climate change on nine countries in the Caribbean basin: Aruba, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. A methodological approach proposed by Dell et al. (2008) is used in preference to the traditional Integrated Assessment Models. The evolution of climate variables and of the macroeconomy of each of the nine countries over the period 1970 to 2006 is analyzed and preliminary evidence of a relationship between the macroeconomy and climate change is exa…

Working towards the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea and the region

The impact of climate change on the water sector in the Caribbean

This study econometrically analyses the projected impact of climate change on the water sector of nine Caribbean countries to 2100: Aruba, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Montserrat, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. Overall, all countries, with the exception of Trinidad and Tobago, are expected to suffer aggregate losses as result of climate change in the early periods ca. 2020 under one or more scenarios. Over time, some countries experience declining negative impacts, as in the case of Guyana under the B2 scenario. Some countries, such as the Dominic…

Caribbean regional report for the five-year review of the Mauritius strategy for the further implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the sustainable development of small island developing states (MSI +5)

The small island developing States (SIDS) of the Caribbean referred to in this report comprise Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, The Netherlands Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States Virgin Islands. As far back as 1994, these countries expressed commitment to implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA) for SIDS and have reiterated their support in making progress in achieving the targets set…

Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean: Trends, Progress, and Challenges in Sustainable Consumption and Production, Mining, Transport, Chemicals and Waste Management

CEPAL Review no.100

Millennium Development Goals. Achieving the millennium development goals with equality in Latin America and the Caribbean: Progress and challenges. Summary

This document sets out the main findings of a review of the countries' progress towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals contained in the 2010 inter-agency regional report on the Goals in Latin America and the Caribbean. The main policy messages, analyses and conclusions included in the report, which was coordinated by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, are the outcome of a joint effort by specialized agencies, programmes and funds of the United Nations operating in the region.…

Institutional report of the ECLAC subregional headquaters for the Caribbean on the support provided to Caribbean small island developing states for the implementation of the Mauritius strategy

This paper presents a review of the support provided by the ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean to small island developing States in the Caribbean for the further implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for Implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action. This report forms part of the MSI+5 Review and addresses structural support through the establishment of the Regional Coordinating Mechanism and the Technical Advisory Committee, and the applied research conducted by ECLAC which is intended to lead to policy implementation.…

Analysis of extreme events in the Caribbean 1990-2008

This study presents an analysis of extreme events in the Caribbean subregion for the period 1990 to 2008, and forms part of a similar, wider study focused on the Latin America and the Caribbean region (Central America and South America being the other two subregional components). It explores the economic costs of climate change through an examination of adaptation costs to extreme events. ECLAC, through its Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean, is pleased to have been able to undertake this study with the financial support of DFID and to have ensured its successful execution in collabora…

The Caribbean Msi+5 Regional Review

Review of the economics of climate change (RECC) in the Caribbean project: Phase I climate change profiles in select Caribbean countries

These reports are the result of consultations which were conducted in 2008 in Aruba, Barbados, Netherlands Antilles, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. The objective was to obtain relevant information that would inform a Stern-type report where the economics of climate change would be examined for the Caribbean subregion. These reports will be complimented by future assessments of the costs of the “business as usual”, adaptation and mitigation responses to the potential impacts of climate change. It is anticipated that the information containe…

The Chilean earthquake of 27 February 2010 an overview

This report highlights some of the key macroeconomic implications of the massiveearthquake of magnitude 8.8 Mw that hit the Chilean Coast on 27 February 2010 and attempts toprovide some prospective lines and reconstruction scenarios based on currently available officialinformation.The usual caveats apply and the information provided here should be used with caution asthe scenarios presented in this report were simulated by means of comparative static techniquesand lack the dynamics and sectoral inter-linkages of more sophisticated and complex modellingtools. However, they serve the purpose of …

Anuario Estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe 2009 = Statistical Yearbook of Latin America and the Caribbean 2009

En la presente edición del Anuario estadístico se introducen mejoras respecto del diseño presentado en los últimos cuatro años. En efecto, se ha hecho una nueva selección de los cuadros que se presentaban publicados en papel y cuya consulta es más cómoda en medios digitales. Asimismo, se han unificado, en la medida de lo posible, los criterios utilizados en los capítulos dedicados a temas sociales, económicos y ambientales en cuanto a países, títulos y agrupaciones, entre otros. A pesar de estos cambios, se ha tratado de mantener la continuidad de las principales series estadísticas que la Com…

Millennium development goals: advances in environmentally sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean

By adopting the Millennium Declaration of 2000, the 189 States Members of the United Nations undertook a commitment to redouble their efforts to eradicate poverty in the world. This led to the establishment of the Millennium Development Goals, with targets to be achieved by 2015, taking 1990 as a base year. Environmental sustainability is included among the Goals owing to its great relevance to poverty reduction efforts, health, gender equality and the other components of development. The targets associated with the seventh Millennium Development Goal —to ensure environmental sustainability— a…

Disaster risk reduction in the education sector among selected Caribbean small island developing states

Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS), by their very nature, are vulnerable to external shocks. Research shows that the Caribbean subregion experienced 165 natural disasters between 1990 and 2008 and the total impact of natural disasters on the subregion was estimated at US$136 billion. The impact on the social sectors was estimated at US$57 billion, or 42% of the total effect. As small open economies, the Caribbean SIDS are also vulnerable to the vagaries of the international economic system and have experienced declines in tourism, merchandise exports receipts, remittances and capi…

A study on energy issues in the Caribbean: potential for mitigating climate change

The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) is seeking to provide support to the Governments of Guyana, Jamaica and Barbados in researching the potential for employing renewable energy technologies to mitigate climate change. This exercise involves the study of different types of renewable technologies and mitigative strategies, with the aim of making recommendations to the governments on the development of their renewable energy sector. The recommendations may also assist in achieving their long-term objectives of reducing poverty and promoting healthy e…

A study of climate change in the Caribbean: impacts of climate change in small communitites

ECLAC, Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean…

The economics of climate change

This paper focuses on several key economic issues relevant to climate change. Given the fact that changes in climate are projections using the best available data, it examines the economic principles of uncertainty and the precautionary approach, and then continues to address the key drivers of climate change. Climate change is expected to result in negative impacts and, in this regard, the consequences of anticipated rising temperatures and sea levels as well as changes in precipitation that may result in flooding and/or drought are addressed. However, the situation is not all negative and, a…

Climate Change and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Overview 2009

In recent years, the problem of climate change has captured an unprecedented level of attention. This has mobilized the international community to agree on mitigation actions, boosted technological innovation efforts to develop the necessary tools to address the causes of the problem and generated growing concerns about the potentially negative impacts of this phenomenon on countries' economic and social development. This issue has even been included, together with the Millennium Development Goals, on the agenda of priorities of the United Nations Secretary-General. The overriding concern…