Turks and Caicos Islands

greater burden of care as poorer households tend to have more children, and possibly less resources to
meet demands (Kairi Consultants Limited, 2000a).
4.8.2. Vulnerability of Livelihoods, Gender, Poverty and Development to Climate
Change
Vulnerability in the context of climate change is a function of the level of exposure to climate change
related or induced events, the level of sensitivity to these events and the capacity to adapt. Climate and
hydrological variability have both short and long term manifestations at the global scale, and is more often
compounded by micro- and meso-scale human activities and impacts. The observed and predicted impacts
of climate change are widely acknowledged in science and non-science circles, including communities who
depend on natural resources.
Climate-sensitive or natural resource intensive livelihoods are very vulnerable to climate change impacts
because they depend so much on the stability of climate conditions or resources. Groups predisposed to
vulnerability include women, children and the nation’s poor, owing to their lack of access to resources and
opportunities which translates into low resilience and exposes them more to climate change impacts than
other groups.
Poverty is an important factor in vulnerability, and climate change and poverty are inextricably linked,
particularly as the poor are and will continue to be the most affected. The impacts of climate change
undeniably aggravate the issue of poverty in all societies, and especially where poverty is extreme and
widespread (Figure 4.8.1 highlights some of these impacts). The areas where impoverished persons reside
are more often at greater risk when compared to areas inhabited by stronger economic groups, particularly
remote rural and coastal areas which are disconnected from essential services and resources.
The North and Middle Caicos Islands (and to a lesser extent, South Caicos and Grand Turk islands) have
large percentages of poor persons, roughly ranging between 33% and 60% of any given island’s population.
Providenciales has one of the lowest poverty rates by island amongst the different islands, despite that –
with a growing percentage of the nation’s population living on the island – a third of the entire nation’s
poor resides on Providenciales. The growth of tourism has boosted job creation with the establishment of
several properties and supporting business/services in the area. However, the other islands do not have
similar opportunities in the job market, and therefore have a greater proportion of residents who are
unable to escape poverty by means of employment. Consequently, during the passage of Tropical Storm
Hanna and Hurricane Ike in 2008, the poorest residents were some of the hardest hit.
The impacts and aftermath of extreme weather events (e.g. flooding, drought, loss of lands and crops) and
SLR (e.g. coastal erosion, salt water intrusion) deteriorate an already dire situation and leave persons in
poverty with even less resources to survive (Kettle et al., n.d.). Conversely, climate change itself and the
impacts it presents are also augmented by these same conditions of poverty, where the lack of access to
resources and services almost dictates unsustainable environmental practices for survival (e.g. intense use
of fossil fuels which promotes deforestation and contributes to GHG emissions, mismanagement of
agricultural land and resources which encourages soil erosion, and decline in quality and output) (UNFPA,
2007; Kettle et al., n.d.).
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