The impact of climate change on tourism in the Caribbean

The Caribbean relies heavily on its natural resources for its economy. Tourism, agriculture and fishing form the Caribbean's main sources of income, making it particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. These nations also suffer from a high level of poverty and low GDP, meaning any steps taken to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change will be further constrained.

Climate change impacts that affect tourism in the Caribbean include:
• Beach erosion
• Saline Intrusion
• Droughts, Flashfloods and Landslides
• Coral Bleaching
• Less productive fisheries and agricultural systems
• Changes to biological systems/reduction in biodiversity
• Damage to coastal amenities and infrastructure
• Reduction in long-haul passengers due to ethical concern/regulatory taxes
• Changes in preferences of tourist

This project focuses upon Tobago, which is overly reliant on its natural resources and biodiversity for tourism purposes. Sixty per cent of Tobago's population is currently employed in the tourism sector, so any negative changes to the country's natural environment will cause significant damage to the economy and to the lives of the local community.

It will build upon the methodology used in a previous IIED project in Namibia which draws upon Natural Resource Accounts (NRA) as well as the work and knowledge of natural resource experts to quantify the economic impacts of climate change.