--- chapter: doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018.CH20 identifier: us-caribbean number: 20 report_identifier: nca4 sort_key: 120 title: U.S. Caribbean url: https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/20/ chapter_identifier: us-caribbean cited_by: [] confidence: '

There is high confidence that climate change will likely result in serious water supply shortages and in increased risks for agriculture production, human health, wildlife, and the socioeconomic development of Puerto Rico, the USVI, and the wider Caribbean region. The effects of climate change in the Caribbean region are likely to increase threats to life and infrastructure from sea level rise and extreme events; reduce the availability of fresh water, particularly during the dry season; negatively affect coral reef ecosystems; and cause health problems due to high temperatures and an increase in diseases.

' contributors: [] evidence: "

Cross-regional and international cooperation is a mechanism that will likely reduce climate vulnerability and risks in the U.S. Caribbean, because it builds capacity and leverages resources in a region that has low adaptive capacity, due in part to the high costs of mitigation and adaptation relative to gross domestic product.{{< tbib '1' '63e4948c-5b46-4deb-a37b-9f363a1a8316' >}},{{}},{{}} There are several efforts among the islands focused on coordination, information exchange, and approaches for risk assessment and management in the Caribbean region.{{< tbib '142' '899cb14e-1714-48fe-b7ac-bda0a57ff0ba' >}},{{}},{{}},{{}} There are emerging opportunities for improving these partnerships and capacity across the region.

" files: [] gcmd_keywords: - definition: 'The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals.' href: https://data.globalchange.gov/gcmd_keyword/da2c70fd-d92b-45be-b159-b2c10cb387c6.yaml identifier: da2c70fd-d92b-45be-b159-b2c10cb387c6 label: PUBLIC HEALTH parent_identifier: fb93d937-c17c-45d0-a9e3-ca5c8a800ca8 uri: /gcmd_keyword/da2c70fd-d92b-45be-b159-b2c10cb387c6 - definition: 'Any measurement or statistic of, related, or based on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.' href: https://data.globalchange.gov/gcmd_keyword/cdbe5ef5-408d-489d-b6ff-4482ce4a99c7.yaml identifier: cdbe5ef5-408d-489d-b6ff-4482ce4a99c7 label: ECONOMIC RESOURCES parent_identifier: fb93d937-c17c-45d0-a9e3-ca5c8a800ca8 uri: /gcmd_keyword/cdbe5ef5-408d-489d-b6ff-4482ce4a99c7 - definition: 'A concept in political ecology or environmental policy related to defining the elements needed to achieve sustainability. All human activities--political, social and economic—should be understood and managed as subsets of the environment and ecosystems. Governance includes not only government, but also business and civil society, and emphasizes whole system management. To capture this diverse range of dynamic forces, environmental governance often necessitates founding alternative systems of governing, for example watershed based management.' href: https://data.globalchange.gov/gcmd_keyword/d81b77be-0177-4e26-942c-aa911239482d.yaml identifier: d81b77be-0177-4e26-942c-aa911239482d label: ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT parent_identifier: fb93d937-c17c-45d0-a9e3-ca5c8a800ca8 uri: /gcmd_keyword/d81b77be-0177-4e26-942c-aa911239482d - definition: "Extreme weather includes weather phenomena that are at the extremes of the historical distribution, especially severe or unseasonal weather.[1] The most commonly used definition of extreme weather is based on an event's climatological distribution. Extreme weather occurs only 5% or less of the time. According to climate scientists and meteorological researchers, extreme weather events are rare.[2]" href: https://data.globalchange.gov/gcmd_keyword/b29b46ad-f05f-4144-b965-5f606ce96963.yaml identifier: b29b46ad-f05f-4144-b965-5f606ce96963 label: EXTREME WEATHER parent_identifier: 5273c8c2-d30b-4666-b2d5-0388ce2741d0 uri: /gcmd_keyword/b29b46ad-f05f-4144-b965-5f606ce96963 href: https://data.globalchange.gov/report/nca4/chapter/us-caribbean/finding/key-message-20-6.yaml identifier: key-message-20-6 ordinal: 6 parents: [] process: '

The majority of our Key Messages were developed over the course of two separate author meetings. The first occurred March 9–10, 2017, and the second on May 3, 2017. Both meetings were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico; however, people were also able to join remotely from Washington, DC, Raleigh, North Carolina, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). In addition, the author team held weekly conference calls and organized separate Key Message calls and meetings to review and draft information that was integral to our chapter. To develop the Key Messages, the team also deliberated with outside experts who are acknowledged as our technical contributors.

' references: - href: https://data.globalchange.gov/reference/63e4948c-5b46-4deb-a37b-9f363a1a8316.yaml uri: /reference/63e4948c-5b46-4deb-a37b-9f363a1a8316 - href: https://data.globalchange.gov/reference/69d2444f-ce49-4b08-8cb4-3eb33fbef6ff.yaml uri: /reference/69d2444f-ce49-4b08-8cb4-3eb33fbef6ff - href: https://data.globalchange.gov/reference/8402476f-b5d9-4313-938a-9d5993a66eaf.yaml uri: /reference/8402476f-b5d9-4313-938a-9d5993a66eaf - href: https://data.globalchange.gov/reference/899cb14e-1714-48fe-b7ac-bda0a57ff0ba.yaml uri: /reference/899cb14e-1714-48fe-b7ac-bda0a57ff0ba - href: https://data.globalchange.gov/reference/9045aae3-0996-4ab7-b956-24e85699b602.yaml uri: /reference/9045aae3-0996-4ab7-b956-24e85699b602 - href: https://data.globalchange.gov/reference/fe7795e1-ecba-43eb-a69a-6e1217526a2c.yaml uri: /reference/fe7795e1-ecba-43eb-a69a-6e1217526a2c regions: [] report_identifier: nca4 statement: '

Shared knowledge, collaborative research and monitoring, and sustainable institutional adaptive capacity can help support and speed up disaster recovery, reduce loss of life, enhance food security, and improve economic opportunity in the U.S. Caribbean. Increased regional cooperation and stronger partnerships in the Caribbean can expand the region’s collective ability to achieve effective actions that build climate change resilience, reduce vulnerability to extreme events, and assist in recovery efforts (very likely, high confidence)

' uncertainties: '

There is high certainty that Caribbean island states are being affected by climate change, but the rate and degree of effects vary across countries due to the differences in environmental and socioeconomic conditions. Examples of regional cooperation efforts to share knowledge, conduct collaborative research, and develop joint projects have increased the adaptive capacity in the region; however, sustaining such efforts across the region remains a challenge. As efforts for regional coordination, cooperation, and information exchange evolve, evidence of the benefits of collaboration can be better assessed.

' uri: /report/nca4/chapter/us-caribbean/finding/key-message-20-6 url: ~