The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has called for Caribbean countries to boost efforts to prepare for increased drought in the region.

In a report entitled Drought Characteristics and Management in the Caribbean, the FAO noted that the region faces significant challenges in terms of drought due to climate change.

“Drought ranks as the single most common cause of severe food shortages in developing countries, so this is a key issue for Caribbean food security,” said Deep Ford, FAO Regional Coordinator in the Caribbean.

The FAO reported that the region already experiences drought-like events every year, with low  water availability often impacting agriculture and water resource, and causing a significant number of bushfires.

As droughts become more seasonal in nature in the Caribbean, the FAO emphasizes that agriculture is the most likely sector to be impacted with serious economic and social consequences.

Small-scale, family farmers are particularly vulnerable to drought, as low rainfall threatens rainfed crops and low water levels result in increased production costs due to increased irrigation.

Extensive droughts also cause increased vulnerability in livestock, increased food prices and greater scarcity of drinking water.

The region’s vulnerability to climate related hazards in manifested in loss of life and annual economic and financial losses that result from strong winds, flooding and drought.

Between 1970 and 2000, the Caribbean region suffered direct and indirect losses estimated at between $700 million and $3.3 billion due to natural disasters associated with weather and climate events.

The FAO addressed the fact that the region has focused mainly on floods and storms, and thus currently lacks effective governance, expertise and financial resources to deal effectively with drought issues.

The FAO also noted that the severity of the 2009-2010 drought served as a wake up call for the Caribbean region, as it brought to light the need to introduce more strategic planning and management measures.

The report stressed the importance for countries to develop strong national initiatives, as policy-making and planning related to drought is hindered by weak governance, lack of finance and poorly coordinated land management.

“These can be overcome by strong political will that encourages participation in policy and planning processes by all actors in the social strata, enabling the sustainable development of water supplies to face the upcoming challenges,” Ford said.