conference magazine - Caribbean Environmental Health Institute

5
Message from Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, M.P.
Minister of Water and Housing, Jamaica and Honorary President of the
Fifth Biennial Caribbean Environmental Forum and Exhibition (CEF5)
I wish to convey my heartiest congratulations to the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) for once again staging
the Caribbean Environmental Forum. This year I am particularly pleased to be the Host Minister for the fifth incarnation of
this important biennial meeting.
This year’s meeting has as its theme, “Coping with Copenhagen….Water, Waste, Energy, Health…”
At the Climate Change Summit held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009, the 115 world leaders who attended failed to reach
an agreement on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
However, as Small Island Development States, we cannot wait on the decisions of others; we must make significant steps to
mitigate the effects of climate change in the region. This is crucial, because while the contribution of the Caribbean towards
the underlying causes of climate change, particularly greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, is low to negligible, no
region is as vulnerable to the impact of global climate change as ours.
Increased temperatures, the rise in sea levels, the increased severity and frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes, as
well as prolonged, severe periods of drought will affect the prospects for development of Caribbean countries and our approximately
40 million residents.
A 2002 report by the Inter-American Development Bank entitled “Natural Disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean: An
Overview of Risk”, noted that over the past three decades, the Caribbean region has suffered direct and indirect losses estimated
at between US $700 million and US$3.3 billion as a result of natural disasters associated with extreme weather
events. This is money that would have been spent towards implementing the respective economic development agendas of
our island states.
M
E
S
S
A
G
E
S
Even more frightening are the projected consequences of inaction. According to the British Report “Stern Review on the
Economics of Climate Change”, it is estimated that “any delay in mitigating climate change will lead to overall damage costs
equivalent to losing between five and thirty percent of global gross domestic product each year, with higher losses being
incurred by most developing countries.”
The possibility of this occurrence calls for nothing less than a comprehensive and committed resolution backed by law, to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement mitigating programmes in a timely manner.
In this region, CEHI is leading the charge for effective environmental policy. This fifth biennial Caribbean Environmental Forum
is another rung in the ladder towards building awareness and capacity among countries of the region in mitigating the
effects of climate change.
I commend CEHI for successfully staging this Forum over the years. I have no doubt that this one will build on the success
of previous lessons learned. It will also enable all the participants to increase their response to the economic, environmental
and social challenges that result from significant climate change.
FIFTH BIENNIAL CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM AND EXHIBITION