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 Ananyah Matthews of Brazil Secondary School.
Extreme weather events are weather phenomena that are unusually severe, changing significantly from the normal conditions for a particular region and time of year.
In simpler terms, extreme weather is any weather that is unusual or unexpected.
But how does climate change contribute to that?
Climate change is intensifying and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events.
Warmer temperatures mean that the atmosphere can hold more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall and more intense storms.
As the planet’s climate continues to shift, so does the weather patterns throughout the planet.
In the Caribbean, the effects of climate change are noticeable.
Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer, and more intense, leading to an increase in heat-related illnesses and deaths.
Droughts are more frequent, severe and prolonged, impacting water resources, agriculture, and ecosystems.
Drier conditions and warmer temperatures create more fuel for wildfires, which can spread rapidly and cause widespread destruction.
In contrast, floods are more intense due to heavier rainfall and rising sea levels increasing the risk of damage and displacement.
Lastly storms, warmer ocean temperatures can fuel stronger hurricanes and cyclones, leading to increased storm intensity and destruction.
All these events have the potential to impact human health.
Unfortunately, this pattern is projected to intensify in the foreseeable future.
Since the 1970s people’s actions have been contributing to this issue.
One of the main offenders is the burning of fossil fuels, which adds greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases are all greenhouse gases which trap heat in the atmosphere.
DROUGHT
Drought is a prolonged dry period in the natural climate cycle that can occur anywhere in the world.
It is a slow-onset disaster characterized by the lack of precipitation, resulting in a water shortage.
Drought can have a serious impact on health, agriculture, economies, energy and the environment.
Several Caribbean countries, such as Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis are considered water-scarce and frequently experience drought conditions due to limited freshwater resources.
The region’s need for rainwater to hydrate their agriculture makes it vulnerable to constant changing weather patterns.
There are several strategies which can be used to address this issue, these include harvesting rainwater leaving out barrels to catch it and drip irrigation.
FLOODS
Islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, and Dominica experience extreme flooding.
Back in November 2023, the Dominican Republic was hit with unpredictable rainfall with up to 431mm recorded in some areas, this led to severe flooding and landslides.
This catastrophe resulted in at least 21 fatalities and thousands displaced. The capital, Santo Domingo, was particularly affected.
Recent reports indicate that Trinidad and Tobago has been experiencing more significant flooding in recent years.
Some areas, such as Penal, have been faced with the worst flooding in decades.
In November 2024, the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service placed the country under a yellow-level adverse weather alert, from 1.30 pm to 6 pm due to what it said was “a very moist and unstable atmosphere.”
It said this could result in rainfall totals up to 50 millimetres and winds in excess of 55 kilometres per hour.
Included in the forecast were warnings of street and flash flooding and landslides.
This was a very serious warning and could have had disastrous effects.
Every citizen can do simple things which can mitigate against the possible consequences of such a warning.
This includes maintaining drainage, reinforcing slopes with vegetation and retaining walls, and avoiding construction in high-risk areas.
Floods and landslides are distinctive threats, and the measures for prevention can be local but often involve coordination across national borders.
HEATWAVES
Heatwaves are especially affecting the Caribbean now due to climate change.
Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Grenada have experienced record-breaking heatwaves in the past recent years.
In June 2023, Puerto Rico experienced a record-breaking heatwave with heat index readings reaching as high as 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
This contributed to many heat-related incidents whether it is illnesses, deaths or injuries.
There are several simple ways to help with wildfires and heat waves such as disposing of cigarettes properly, having a long garden hose that can extinguish bushfires before they become too large and never burning grass when it’s windy as this can cause the fire to spread rapidly.
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.
