35
tourism industry. Coral reefs and coastal ecosystems have rarely been reflected as a component of
the essential coastal infrastructure, a value which
has been poorly recognised and documented by
government and local authority (Emerton 2006;
Hernandez-Delgado 2015).
The development of hotels and tourism-related
infrastructure on the coast of the island has
increased its vulnerability to climate change and
SLR and is also responsible for increasing the
degradation of coastal and marine diversity
(CARIBSAVE 2012). This is responsible for
reducing the resilience of the island on the impact
of SLR and storm surges. It is also one of the
leading causes of flooding mentioned above.
The changes in temperature, rainfall, atmospheric circulation patterns and soil moisture can
influence the distribution and prevalence of
human diseases and their vectors (Griffin 2007;
Hernandez-Delgado 2015). Invasive mosquitorelated diseases such as chikungunya and dengue
fever are the main cause of concerns within the
community. During the climate mapping exercise, persons retold stories of the outbreak and
impact of these diseases on themselves and the
community as a whole. Some participants said
they were unable to work for as long as 3 months
and these diseases partially paralysed them.
Other participants observed economic slowdown
and overstretching of the already dysfunctional
health system during the outbreak of the diseases
(CARIBSAVE 2012).
Although the increase in seagrass infestation
was placed last on the participants’ list of priorities, it was viewed by them as invasive species
which is negatively impacting their health and
the tourism and fishing industries. Participants
complained that seagrass covered every beach on
the island resulting in a noticeable reduction in
tourist visiting the island. The stench of seagrass
was so repulsive that it affected the operation of
tour operators who take visitors to the Tobago
Cays Marine Park in the southern Grenadines. It
also affected the operation of water taxi operators
who provide services to the yachts that are
anchored within the sheltered bay of Port
Elizabeth, capital of Bequia. Besides the seagrass
getting tangled in the propeller of boats and
destroying their engines, a large proportion of
fish and turtles were poisoned. The reduction in
tourism has had severe implications for the economy of Bequia and has ricocheted through the
economy of SVG.
Tsunamis were underscored by participants as
a grave threat to the island due to the proximity of
Bequia to the submerged volcanoes of “Kick‘em-Jenny” and “Kick-‘em Jim” located in the
southern Grenadines corridor between St. Vincent
and Grenada. Hurricanes and drought are other
climate problems faced by the island. Although
the island is located in the pathway of hurricanes,
it has one of the most sheltered harbours in the
Eastern Caribbean.
Like other islands of the Grenadines, drought
is a significant challenge confronting the residents of Bequia. Through financial support from
the World Bank and the Global Environment
Facility (GEF), the community of Paget Farm has
collaborated with the Government of SVG to
construct a desalination plant to produce fresh
water to meet the needs of the community. The
5Cs provided technical support. The plant is
powered by a photovoltaic system which provides excess energy to the central grid (Jaja et al.
2016). The project is a unique case study to
observe the role institutional integration can play
in enabling the implementation of large-scale
adaptation measures that enhance communitybased climate change adaptation capabilities at
the community level (Jaja et al. 2016).
Climate Change and Other Calamities
Impact on the South-East of Mainland
St. Vincent
The Stubbs District is located on the south-east of
mainland SVG. The district has a population of
26,000 and is impacted by all the climate stressors affecting the islands. There are 15 villages
located in this district along with an industrial
park and the newly constructed international airport. The community is directly exposed to
storms and hurricanes coming in from the
Atlantic Ocean. Hurricanes have not severely
impacted the community over the past 30 years;
however, in 1988, heavy winds destroyed over
250 houses. The vibrant JEMS Community
Section 1: The Participatory Mapping Process
tourism industry. Coral reefs and coastal ecosystems have rarely been reflected as a component of
the essential coastal infrastructure, a value which
has been poorly recognised and documented by
government and local authority (Emerton 2006;
Hernandez-Delgado 2015).
The development of hotels and tourism-related
infrastructure on the coast of the island has
increased its vulnerability to climate change and
SLR and is also responsible for increasing the
degradation of coastal and marine diversity
(CARIBSAVE 2012). This is responsible for
reducing the resilience of the island on the impact
of SLR and storm surges. It is also one of the
leading causes of flooding mentioned above.
The changes in temperature, rainfall, atmospheric circulation patterns and soil moisture can
influence the distribution and prevalence of
human diseases and their vectors (Griffin 2007;
Hernandez-Delgado 2015). Invasive mosquitorelated diseases such as chikungunya and dengue
fever are the main cause of concerns within the
community. During the climate mapping exercise, persons retold stories of the outbreak and
impact of these diseases on themselves and the
community as a whole. Some participants said
they were unable to work for as long as 3 months
and these diseases partially paralysed them.
Other participants observed economic slowdown
and overstretching of the already dysfunctional
health system during the outbreak of the diseases
(CARIBSAVE 2012).
Although the increase in seagrass infestation
was placed last on the participants’ list of priorities, it was viewed by them as invasive species
which is negatively impacting their health and
the tourism and fishing industries. Participants
complained that seagrass covered every beach on
the island resulting in a noticeable reduction in
tourist visiting the island. The stench of seagrass
was so repulsive that it affected the operation of
tour operators who take visitors to the Tobago
Cays Marine Park in the southern Grenadines. It
also affected the operation of water taxi operators
who provide services to the yachts that are
anchored within the sheltered bay of Port
Elizabeth, capital of Bequia. Besides the seagrass
getting tangled in the propeller of boats and
destroying their engines, a large proportion of
fish and turtles were poisoned. The reduction in
tourism has had severe implications for the economy of Bequia and has ricocheted through the
economy of SVG.
Tsunamis were underscored by participants as
a grave threat to the island due to the proximity of
Bequia to the submerged volcanoes of “Kick‘em-Jenny” and “Kick-‘em Jim” located in the
southern Grenadines corridor between St. Vincent
and Grenada. Hurricanes and drought are other
climate problems faced by the island. Although
the island is located in the pathway of hurricanes,
it has one of the most sheltered harbours in the
Eastern Caribbean.
Like other islands of the Grenadines, drought
is a significant challenge confronting the residents of Bequia. Through financial support from
the World Bank and the Global Environment
Facility (GEF), the community of Paget Farm has
collaborated with the Government of SVG to
construct a desalination plant to produce fresh
water to meet the needs of the community. The
5Cs provided technical support. The plant is
powered by a photovoltaic system which provides excess energy to the central grid (Jaja et al.
2016). The project is a unique case study to
observe the role institutional integration can play
in enabling the implementation of large-scale
adaptation measures that enhance communitybased climate change adaptation capabilities at
the community level (Jaja et al. 2016).
Climate Change and Other Calamities
Impact on the South-East of Mainland
St. Vincent
The Stubbs District is located on the south-east of
mainland SVG. The district has a population of
26,000 and is impacted by all the climate stressors affecting the islands. There are 15 villages
located in this district along with an industrial
park and the newly constructed international airport. The community is directly exposed to
storms and hurricanes coming in from the
Atlantic Ocean. Hurricanes have not severely
impacted the community over the past 30 years;
however, in 1988, heavy winds destroyed over
250 houses. The vibrant JEMS Community
Section 1: The Participatory Mapping Process