Above: Jamaica

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Climate change poses perhaps the greatest threat to the future of the Caribbean, and Jamaican Environment Minister Robert Pickersgill says it’s time to increase climate change awareness.

The impacts of climate change on Jamaica will be widespread, he said, from affecting health and natural resources to the ability of the country to repay its national debt.

“We will all be affected,” he said. “The impacts are likely to continue to greatly hinder Jamaica in its debt repayment efforts, while the economic cost of climate related impacts will continue to increase.”

Pickersgill was speaking at the launch of a video called “Climate Change and Its Impact on Jamaican Farmers” at the Planning Institute of Jamaica in Kingston this week.

The Minister said any approach to combat climate change must entail “cooperation, communication and consistency of effort from everyone.”

And it cannot impact Jamaica’s long-term “Vision 2030” development strategy, he said.

“We cannot allow progress toward the Vision 2030 Goals to be derailed by climate change-related impacts,” he said.