Turks and Caicos Islands

4. VULNERABILITY AND IMPACTS PROFILE FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS
ISLANDS
Vulnerability is defined as the “inherent characteristics or qualities of social systems that create the
potential for harm. Vulnerability is a function of exposure… and sensitivity of [the] system” (Adger, 2006;
Cutter, 1996 cited in Cutter et al. 2008, p. 599). Climate change is projected to be a progressive process and
therefore vulnerability will arise at different time and spatial scales affecting communities and sectors in
distinct ways. Participatory approaches to data collection were implemented in Lower Bight, Providenciales
to provide additional community-level data and field surveys at the Grand Turk Cruise Centre, Grand Turk
West Shore and Historic Cockburn Town enabled the creation of sea level rise impact data and maps. To
help in the identification and analysis of vulnerability, the following sections discuss the implications and
impacts of climate change on key sectors as they relate to tourism in The Turks and Caicos Islands.
TCI is already experiencing some of the effects of climate variability through damages from severe weather
systems and the decline of some coastal tourism attractions. The Turks and Caicos Islands economy relies
primarily on tourism and fisheries. These sectors, and others, are dependent on the state of the natural
environment, so climate change impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems will ultimately and adversely
affect these sectors. In addition, the pattern of development in TCI is concentrated in the coastal zone
where impacts from climate change such as increased intensity of hurricanes, storm surges, sea level rise
and flooding will be strongly felt.
4.1. Water Quality and Availability
4.1.1. Background
The Turks and Caicos Islands are an archipelago consisting of numerous limestone islands and can be
considered a water scarce country (DEPS, 2007b): the high porosity of the soils and the small size (total size:
430 km 2 ) of these islands results in limited surface water resources (Bennett et al., 2002). While there are
three freshwater lakes on Pine Cay, located in the Leeward Islands, these lakes are considered rare habitats
and do not exist anywhere else in the archipelago (SWA Ltd., Blue Dolphin Research and Consulting Inc.,
EDSA 2010). In addition to a lack of surface water, the geographical location of the Turks and Caicos Islands
at the south-east end of the Bahamas chain means that the islands receive limited rainfall.
While there are about 40 islands and numerous cays that make up the Turks and Caicos Islands, only the six
largest islands and two small cays are inhabited. According to the last census conducted in 2001, the
majority of the population (65%) reside on Providenciales followed by Grand Turk (20%), the latter being
the administrative capital (DEPS, 2009). The Turk Islands, located southeast of the country’s territory
receive low annual rainfall of 533 mm. To the north west of the group, including the major islands of North
Caicos and Providenciales, nearly double this amount of rainfall is received, allowing them to support
agriculture that is not possible in the Turk Islands (Kairi Consultants Limited, 2000a). However, during
tropical storms, a proportion of the rainfall may be received. For example, during tropical storm Hanna in
2008, 330 mm of rainfall fell over a three day period in Middle Caicos, around a third of the average annual
total (ECLAC, 2008). The geographical distribution of the islands results in a high variability of rainfall
patterns where drought may be experienced in individual islands independent of others (ECLAC, 2008).
According to the Country Poverty Assessment for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Grand Turk and Salt Cay are
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