During the second term of the 2024/2025 Academic Year, Cari-Bois partnered with the Scotiabank Foundation to empower ten (10) students with climate journalism skills as part of the third edition of Cari-Bois’ Youth Journalism Project. For their second assignment, students wrote an article about the relationship between climate change and natural disasters. This story was written by Amelia Puttin of Brazil Secondary School.
One of the main challenges that comes with a change of climatic patterns is extreme weather events in localised areas.
In the Caribbean, extreme weather manifests itself in many different ways.
In some Caribbean countries, extreme flooding is a prevalent issue while extreme drought is an issue in others.
For example, the Bahamas is a low-lying island which experiences severe flooding and storm surges when there are hurricanes and tropical storms.
Because tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Basin are forming more frequently and intensely, the Bahamas finds itself in a vulnerable position and repeatedly suffers financial losses.
Animals and plants are also being affected in the Bahamas because of climate change.
The Bahama Nuthatch is a critically endangered species that is only found in the pine forest in Grand Bahama.
Sightings of the birds have become rare in recent years as a result of habitat destruction particularly from the intense Hurricanes in recent years.
Hurricane Dorian in 2019 is believed to have wiped out most of the population.
With the continued use of fossil fuels, the rate of climate change is poised to accelerate and this will continue to affect countries particularly in the Caribbean.
The dependence on fossil fuels should be reduced and investment should be made in clean energy to reduce these effects.
A very special thank you to the Scotiabank Foundation for supporting the development of young people through initiatives like the Cari-Bois Youth Journalism Project.
