Turtles, coral and mangroves top climate risk list
(CNS): Scientists visiting the Cayman Islands from the UK who are helping the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency undertake a comprehensive assessment of the risks the country faces from climate change have already identified over fifty areas under threat. At a public meeting Wednesday evening on what they had learned so far from their work on the risks to species and habitats, they revealed the top five concerns: turtles (at the top of the list), corals, the loss of the islands’ endemic species and mangroves.
The team from the UK’s Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) gave a comprehensive presentation that spelled out the critical issues Cayman must tackle in the short and long term. They explained the impact that global warming, rising seas, increased storm intensity, and dryer, hotter and more unpredictable weather will all have on the Cayman Islands.
Based on the data they have already collected, Dr John Pinnegar, the lead advisor on climate change at Cefas, outlined some serious areas of concern relating to climate change for those attending the meeting at Constitutional Hall, George Town, as well as those who tuned into the radio broadcast.
He noted that over the last 40 years the average temperature in the Cayman Islands has increased by 2.2ºC. “Thats big,” he said, explaining that even under the best circumstances Cayman will see a gradual increase of as much as 3ºC more over the next 80 years.
And that’s not all. Focusing on two well-known dangers that all low-lying islands face, Pinnegar said that by 2050, sea levels around the Cayman Islands will rise by at least 30cm, which was “quite sizeable and in some places that will really matter”, and the sea will warm, which will cause local ocean acidification to increase by at least a 20%, which is another direct threat to the local coral reefs and marine habitat.
The changing climate is going to have complex impacts and knock-on effects that will need to be considered. Sea level rise will increase beach erosion, which won’t just affect luxury beachfront homes and flood out sewage systems, but will cause the loss of turtle nesting areas. The turtles will also be impacted by warming, acidifying seas as well as the increase in beach temperature, which affects the gender of hatchlings.
As he opened the meeting, Governor Martyn Roper, whose office secured the funding for the work, said it was being led by the Cayman government, not the UK. The research will belong to the Cayman Islands and will help inform the much-needed climate-proof policies, he said.
“We need more balance between development and the environment on our islands. We are not at present getting this balance entirely right. It’s not about stopping development or stopping construction… but we need to develop in a more balanced way, managing risk and protecting the environment,” he said, adding that he hoped the risk assessment work would convince naysayers who still deny the science on climate change and encourage support for the changes.
“While the challenges can often seem immense, we have to overcome them,” Roper said.
Premier Wayne Panton, whose ministry is coordinating the climate risk assessment, said the work, which will be published before the end of the year, will be the foundation for the climate change policy and was an important first step towards adaptation measures. He said this would not be the last townhall meeting on the issue and there would be more public consultation on the climate change policy that will be rolled out later this year.
“There is no question of our obligation to get this right,” he said, adding that this is not a theoretical exercise. “This is absolutely critical to our efforts to ensure that future generations can call the Cayman Islands home… The science is clear… climate change is real, urgent and pressing. It is a threat to the health and safety of our communities, the viability of our natural environments and the success of our economy.”
He said an updated climate change policy was arguably the most essential priority for the government because efforts to improve any other area of life will not matter if islands cannot sustain life. “We must adapt to the impacts where we can and negate those we cannot and build local resiliency,” the premier said, adding that it had to be a collaborative effort towards a common purpose.
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Category: Climate Change, Science & Nature
All we are getting from this government is talk, talk and more talk. They will do nothing other than pay for experts to provide them with an expensive policy document. The government will then change and the next one will request another costly policy document.
Did the report investigate the environmental impact of big ass pickup trucks and 44 foot diesel spewing boats? Asking for the Premier.
At the meeting on Wednesday, comments from Loxley Banks, Carlyle Ebanks and Billy Adam were right on the money. It had the panelists scratching their heads. Have a look at the footage.
Multi-generational Caymanians are now a rare and endangered species, which should be protected at law (like the blue iguana and other wildlife, flora and fauna) before becoming extinct.
Caymanians are already a minority in the Cayman Islands, whilst multi-generational are an even smaller minority.
The Cayman Islands should be where Caymanians have opportunities for upward social mobility, but rather are treated like second class citizens in Cayman.
Panton may want to save the environment but he formed Government with a bunch of self serving clowns who could care less and are in it for the power and high pay! He can spout all he wants, nothing is going to change
Bottom line is that certain very wealthy families call the shots, some of whom are developers so all this talk is just lip service.
Just wealthy Caymanian families? You sure it’s not more to add to that list?
@ 7:36 am ….. And how do you know that “nothing is going to change”?
Good point. Inside information? Lodge?
Let us be fair to Premier Panton, he did NOT elect the MPs, WE THE VOTERS ELECTED THE MPs.
Without a doubt, several MPs who now form the Government, would have never been selected by Premier Panton, had he the power to do that.
However, when faced with the opportunity to form a government he needed at least 10 MPs, if the Speaker was not to be an MP, but we seem addicted to have an MP as the Speaker.
So with 10 MPs agreeing to form a team and the speaker an MP, he could form a government with 10 MPs in one team.
However in the Parliament the Government would be 9 MPs, the Opposition would also have 9 MPs. This would be a totally unworkable situation with constant stalemate.
To be workable a government needs at least 12 MPs working together, Government 11 MPs, Opposition 7 MPs and Speaker 1 MP, Total 19 MPs.
Of the 12 MPs who formed the government several MPs elected were remnants of PPM or PNA or UDP.
The others we more true independents with a common belief, to move away from the previous form of Poor Governance where the interests of generational Caymanians not being a central priority.
This is what the electors gave to Premier Panton, a very tarnished group of MPs.
He did his best to get the Independents with a common Caymanian cenntral cause to accept, with unease the Remnant MPs, who remember as “survivors” still have ties with the previous PPM Unity Government, now the Opposition MPs.
It is a true miracle that the independents in PACT MPs have been able to accomplish what they have been able to do to date and to slow down or stop some of the destructive actions of the previous PPM led Unity Government.
Let us work with the PACT Government, who knows, some of the Remnant MPs may actually begin to make the interests of Caymanians central in all of their decisions.
Now that would be something new – true GOOD GOVERNANCE!
Cayman has had good governance before PPM, UDP and PACT got hands on the steering wheel.
25 years ago things were far better. We need to get back to electing Caymanians, who are not power hungry sellouts, that are true servants of the Caymanian people.
Incompetence is just as bad a corruption, except incompetence can be tolerated more if that MP has integrity and a general good heart.
A good example of this is Jon Jon, who is usually off base on everything, but not evil person.
Very noble…
Environment vs Concrete
Who will win PACT?
You all don’t need any experts. Just pull out all of the reports from whichever dusty cupboard you have them in. You know Vision 2008, 2013, Tourism Management Policy 1 & 2. There you go. Happy Reading.
Too bad PACT, Jon Jon Seymour and PPM do not like to read. Reading is too boring.
Don’t get all worried about any of this because:
1) we have a great development boom going on and jobs are plentiful
2) we have Mr Dart taking care of things and with his money and wonderful organization, nothing will ever happen to the Cayman Islands
Correct as even The Cold Hard Truth Sandi says Mr. Dart is a great man and only does what is best for Cayman.
Sandy is the best!
Hahaha! Solid trolling!
Third grade level at best.
Tell’em.
I wish we would concentrate upon conservation of resources and the cleanup and preservation of our waters, and recycling, and leave the big, big bucks of the climate change folk to the big boys and girls who know how to exploit those systems.
Panton might as well save his breath to warm his stomach. Only total fools would believe his hot air and deem him to be the environmental protector that he puts himself out to be.
Cases in point, to illustrate but a few:
1) In January 2021, the Department of Environment discovered that the developer of Block 23C Parcel 233, without any planning permission, illegally bulldozed down mangroves on the site. According to the article here on CNS, they continued ripping up mangroves despite continued calls from the Department of Environment to stop the clearing of mangroves without planning permission. The Central Planning Authority considered an application for after-the-fact land clearance after the developer removed several acres of mangroves. Astonishingly, the mangrove destruction was granted after-the-fact permission in March 2020 following the illegal clearing of around one acre of the site.
2) In July August 2021, the Central Planning Authority granted planning permission to Johnny Ebanks (no less than planning minister Jay Ebanks father!) to clear and fill land along Sailors Way in North Side. It allows the developer to wipe out the mangrove habitat on the land. The application was turned down in July but it was re-submitted with simply a change of use on the same site plan. The mangrove-destroying application was approved! As they say here: Kisses go by favours. If you are connected to PACT, you can get away with zhit.
After coming into power, PACT replaced the entire CPA except for one member. So Panton-PACT totally owns both these incidents of environmental rape. At any point, PACT could put into place a moratorium on removal of mangroves until proper legislation was put into place. They could put a moratorium on the bulldozing of the beach ridge. They could come up with emergency legislation to stop the rape of the land. But they have not. The Panton-PACTless Clowns watch what is happening to the environment, tweak each others bright red plastic noses, “Beep! Beep! Beeeep!”, smile silly clownish smiles, bobble their heads, screech high pitch laughs, and prance arm-in-arm to the next press briefing where Panton, et al, will spew more putrid insincere bullchit about “plans” to protect the environment. Same tired old script being played out one more time: More studies, more public meetings, more plans, no action from the impotent clowns. To hell with empty plans, clowns! Do something! NOW!
Well said!!
He’d need a lot of breath for that.
If our reefs are so precious and valuable and need to be safe guarded then maybe we should consider not removing healthy reef from the Brac for development. It’s like the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing!
If I had a shilling for every time I’d heard that sentiment recently…
Where on the Brac is this reef removal taking place or planned to take place?
Thank you, Beaumont. I was wondering the same thing.
The reef is in the sea.
POSSIBLY – https://www.caymancompass.com/2021/06/23/marina-and-village-part-of-schillings-brac-plan/ – I know nothing for certain
“We should consider not removing healthy reef from the Brac for development.”
Development? Could you tell me where healthy reef was removed? And……. Can you give the name of the remover?
All these articles are a total waste of time which is tragic given the beautiful and diverse ecosystem we have. Greed and wealth are the only things our leaders which to preserve.
“given the beautiful and diverse ecosystem we”… had. Due to decades of greed, corruption, development and destruction there’s barely any left now.