Antigua, Sept. 11, 2014, CNS – The recently ended UN Conference on Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) gave Antigua and Barbuda another opportunity to make a case for “preferential treatment” on the issues of mitigation and adaptation.
“Climate change has been recognised as the most urgent threat in terms of our environment and our physical vulnerability,” Ruleta Camacho, project coordinator on sustainable island resource management mechanism within Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of the Environment, said.
“As Small Island Developing States we are particularly vulnerable to physical and economic risks and as the policy drivers of our countries we have to make that case on the international scene so that we can have some…preferential treatment.”
Camacho, who was a member of Antigua and Barbuda’s delegation to the conference held in Apia, Samoa from Sept. 1-4, said the twin-island nation depends a lot on the global community.
“We are isolated in terms of our physical space and we are a very small economy so we’re dependent on other countries for our functionality. We need to put ourselves in a position where we can access the types of services that we need with the conditions that we require,” she said.
“In addition to just recognising the vulnerability, our address to the conference pointed out Antigua’s needs.
“For example, just using our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and our GNP (Gross National Product) as the markers for representation of where we are in our development is a misrepresentation because as we saw in Grenada a couple years ago, overnight all of those factors can change with one hurricane,” Camacho added.
Although Antigua and Barbuda and its Caribbean neighbours may look very stable, Camacho said “our economies are actually very fragile” because of their isolated nature and physical vulnerability to risks from climate change.
In terms of benefits derived from the conference Camacho noted that from a practical standpoint there was a lot of new information and presentations of lessons learned and best practices in terms of managing sustainable development issues in small island developing states.
“I think from a political signaling standpoint that through the minister’s address, Antigua and Barbuda has put down some critical markers with respect to what our priorities are, the first being our commitment to mitigation as well as our ongoing activities for adaptation,” she said.
“One of the things that was recognised at this conference and was top of the agenda was our physical vulnerability and our inability to reduce the impact of climate change. However we have said as SIDS, as a group of countries together we will do our part, (but) we need help with our adaptation.
“I think the other thing that we achieved as CARICOM countries, we were able to coordinate our calls on issues and highlight issues such as our vulnerability,” Camacho added.
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