Turks and Caicos Islands

5.5. Marine and Terrestrial Biodiversity and Fisheries
Adaptation requires “adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic
stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities” (IPCC, 2007). The
adaptive capacity of ecosystems then is the property of a system to adjust its characteristics or behaviour,
in order to expand its coping range under existing climate variability, or future climate conditions (Brooks &
Adger, 2004). Despite global action to reduce greenhouse gases, climate change impacts on biodiversity are
unavoidable due to climate inertia. Natural ecosystems have long demonstrated the ability to adapt to
changes in their physical environment. The rate at which climatic change occurs may exceed the rate at
which ecosystems can adapt. Furthermore, natural environments, which are already stressed by human
activities, have compromised ability to cope with and to adapt to climate change. This adaptive capacity
assessment thus considers the country’s ability to conserve its biodiversity through managing sustainable
resource use and the capacity to implement strategies to protect its natural environment.
Many small island states generally have low adaptive capacity for some of the same reasons that they tend
to be highly vulnerable to climate change, i.e. small physical size, limited access to capital and technology,
shortage of human and financial resources (Mimura, et al., 2007). The ability of ecosystems to adjust to
projected climatic changes depends not only on their inherent resilience but also on the ability of resource
users to make required adjustments. By addressing shortcomings in the above indicators adaptive capacity
can be built.
Six principles for adaptation have been identified by Natural England, the UK government’s advisor on the
natural environment. Many elements of these principles are neither new nor climate-change specific and so
may be applied within the Caribbean context. The principles are as follows (not in order of priority):
Table 5.5.1: Biodiversity: Six principles for climate change adaptation
Conserve existing biodiversity
Reduce sources of harm not linked to climate
Develop ecologically resilient and varied landscapes
Establish ecological networks through habitat protection, restoration and
creation
Make sound decisions based on analysis
Integrate adaptation and mitigation measures into conservation management,
planning and practice
5.5.1. Policy
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(Source: Hopkins et al., 2007)
Climate change adaptation strategies for biodiversity can either support or violate principles of equity,
cultural norms and sustainable development depending on the policies that guide these actions. The
capacity of countries to implement climate change adaptation strategies will therefore be enhanced by
polices that take advantage of linkages between socio-economic and environmental sectors. The
Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands recognises the importance of a healthy environment and has
also begun to consider the threat that climate change poses to the sustainable use of its biodiversity.
Increasing recognition of the importance of preserving environmental health, increased interface with
global environmental institutions and the demands of financial and donor institutions have resulted in
improved participation of Caribbean countries in Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements (MEA). To this