Small Island Developing States SIDS
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SIDS Saving paradise Ensuring sustainable development Small Island Developing States SIDS Saving paradise Ensuring sustainable development Small Island Developing States WMO-No. 973 WMO-No. 973 © 2005, World Meteorological Organization ISBN 92-63-10973-7 NOTE The designations employed and the presentation of mate- rial in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitations of its frontiers or boundaries. Saving paradise Contents Foreword iv Introduction 1 Climate change and sea-level rise 5 Natural and environmental hazards 7 Coastal zone management 12 Freshwater 16 Energy 18 Tourism 20 National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and regional cooperation 21 paradise Conclusion 24 Saving iii Ensuring sustainable development Foreword Since the adoption of the Barbados Foreword Programme of Action (BPoA) for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in 1994, consid- erable efforts have been deployed to implement the high-priority programme areas defined therein. Today, the achievements may seem meagre when compared to the objectives of the BPoA and the increasing challenges faced by SIDS in areas of trade, security and environment. This is true for most developing countries, but particularly so for SIDS. The impediments are daunting, whether they be natural, indigenous or originate from global conditions. While the responsibility for meeting their socio-economic aspirations should rest primarily with the SIDS themselves, the world community, including strategic part- ners, UN system organizations and the private as well as in climate variability and change and sector, have the duty to commit resources and their impacts on sea-level rise. means of support. The support should be based on the strategies and the Programme of A unique feature of WMO is that its efforts are Action that SIDS will evolve at the 2005 geared to supporting the activities of the Mauritius International Meeting to Review the National Meteorological and Hydrological Implementation of the Programme of Action Services of SIDS, while ensuring that the coor- for the Sustainable Development of SIDS. dination mechanism and systems are developed and implemented by SIDS them- WMO has been at the forefront of collabora- selves. This booklet provides a brief overview tion with SIDS to ensure endogenous capacity of this distinctive global system in which each building and the availability of some of the country contributes according to its means and sophisticated products that recent advances in benefits according to its needs in all socio- meteorology, hydrology, oceanography and economic and environmental areas where related sciences can provide. These include weather, climate and water play a role. observational data from all countries on weather, atmospheric composition, the ocean This brochure aims to contribute to awareness surface and surface and underground freshwa- of the potential contribution of weather, ter from a global network of in situ stations climate and water to sustainable development and satellite systems. and thus to the formulation and implementa- tion of the Mauritius Programme of Action for WMO ensures the availability around the clock the sustainable development of SIDS and the of the most reliable weather forecasts and well being of their populations now and in the warnings with as much lead time as possible. future. Seasonal forecasts up to a year ahead are also being developed nationally or globally. The Organization gives particular importance to products that are essential for socio-economic sectors, including agriculture, water-resources M. Jarraud management, energy and tourism and for (Secretary-General) environmental protection. It also promotes research and capacity building in these areas, Small Island Developing States iv Introduction Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are highly vulnerable to natural disasters, as well as human-induced factors. These have been highlighted by the Alliance of Small Island Introduction Developing States (AOSIS), which has played a key role in drawing attention to the concerns of SIDS and calling for urgent action. Indeed, the threats can be mitigated through appropriate strategies that are based on the basic principles of sustainable development and the concerted efforts of the countries concerned, and with the support of the inter- national community. Photo: H. Kootval paradise Photo: Delphine Tailfer Saving 1 Ensuring sustainable development From Barbados to the global network of the NMHSs under the Mauritius and beyond aegis of WMO. The Mauritius International Meeting to Review As an outcome of the 1992 United Nations the Implementation of the Programme of Introduction Conference on Environment and Development, Action for the Suitable Development of SIDS the 1994 Barbados Conference on the will also build on the outcomes of the 2002 Sustainable Development of Small Island World Summit on Sustainable Development. It Developing States not only recognized common will review the achievements over the last environmental challenges facing SIDS, but also 10 years and highlight areas of the BPoA highlighted the meteorological, hydrological requiring further implementation. Issues such and oceanographic issues in many of these coun- as trade, good governance, security, health tries. The Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA), and other social issues should be seen as being the principal output of the Conference, identi- holistically and intimately linked with environ- fied 14 issues and/or focal areas as urgent mental aspects of sustainable development. priorities. All these areas require inputs of vary- ing degree from the National Meteorological Environmental security lays the foundation for and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of SIDS and sustainable development. Both the policy- makers and the public will need to ensure that advances in sciences such as meteorology, hydrology, oceanography and the environ- SIDS ment are adequately understood and Programme priority harnessed to address issues such as those related to climate change and sea-level rise, areas requiring natural and environmental hazards, fresh- significant inputs water resources, energy, and coastal zone from National management. The National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in each of the coun- Meteorological and tries should be able to provide related Hydrological Services information, including forecasts and warnings (NMHSs) of natural hazards and day-to-day variations in weather and climate, which affect all aspects of daily activities in agriculture, tourism, and other socio-economic activities. ■ Climate change and sea-level rise ■ Natural and environmental hazards As part of WMO’s global network, the NMHSs ■ Management of waste of SIDS can access the most sophisticated ■ Coastal and marine resources products in near-real-time and advance fore- ■ Freshwater resources casts of extreme weather events several days ■ Land resources ahead, movement of atmospheric and oceanic pollutants, seasonal predictions and climate ■ Energy resources projections. In this way, the NMHSs are at the ■ Tourism resources forefront of efforts to address some of the ■ Biodiversity resources major challenges concerning weather, ■ National institutions and climate, water and the environment of the administrative capacity 21st century. ■ Regional institutions and technical cooperation ■ Transport and communications ■ Science and technology Small Island Developing States 2 SIDS: some of the oceanographic information is essential for the challenges design, construction, operation and manage- ment of infrastructure such as dams, roads, Tropical cyclones are among the major chal- commercial and domestic buildings, harbours lenges facing SIDS in the Atlantic, Pacific and and bridges. Indian Oceans. Because of their frequency and Introduction severity, they constitute some of the greatest threats to the socio-economic well-being of the populations. These tropical systems may also be beneficial, however, as they replenish the aquifers upon which most SIDS depend for their freshwater. Longer-term climatic variations may be even more devastating to SIDS, since sea-level rise, resulting from climatic change, could perma- nently drown many of the low-lying islands of the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Sea-level rise would also affect the coastal areas and freshwater sources of all island States, as well as agriculture, fisheries, tourism and infrastructure. Coastal zone management is therefore critical and requires data on tides, water levels, sea temperature, winds and coastal ocean circula- tion. Meteorological, hydrological and Meteorological and climatological information is vital for day-to-day agricultural operations, as well as for designing and construction purposes. paradise Photos: Y. Boodhoo Photos: Y. Saving 3 Ensuring sustainable development Weather and climate affect most sectors of the development though its own NMHS, with economy such as agriculture, transport, fishing WMO providing the overall framework for and tourism, as well as leisure activities. The international cooperation. National Meteorological and Hydrological Services are responsible for monitoring weather, climate and water resources, for fore- casting the weather, and disseminating the Introduction information to users. They also provide fore- casts and early