A call to action for climate change research on Caribbean dry forests

The final publication is available at Springer via https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1334-6Tropical dry forest (TDF) is globally one of the most threatened forest types. In the insular Caribbean, limited land area and high population pressure have resulted in the loss of over 60% of TDF, yet local people’s reliance on these systems for ecosystem services is high. Given the sensitivity of TDF to shifts in precipitation regimes and the vulnerability of the Caribbean to climate change, this study examined what is currently known about the impacts of climate change on TDF in the region. A systematic review (n = 89) revealed that only two studies addressed the ecological response of TDF to climate change. Compared to the rapidly increasing knowledge of the effects of climate change on other Caribbean systems and on TDF in the wider neotropics, this paucity is alarming given the value of these forests. We stress the need for long-term monitoring of climate change responses of these critical ecosystems, including phenological and hotspot analyses as priorities

Climate change and small island tourism: policy maker and industry perspectives in Barbados

Tourism in many small island developing states is vulnerable to potential impacts of climate change. Policies related to climate change and tourism depend on value-driven decisions made in the context of uncertainty and complex socioeconomic, cultural, and political relationships. Debates on policies for climate change and tourism are influenced by varied individual and group responses. This article examines the views of policy makers and tourism managers in Barbados on potential climate change impacts on the island’s tourism industry, and their preferred policies in response to them. Many considered it very likely there will be damage to coastal tourism facilities, beach changes, and adverse effects on marine ecosystems. Both groups saw increasing public awareness as the most appropriate policy response. Tourism managers were less inclined to regard policy responses as very appropriate, perhaps being more cautious about policy interventions. Future research directions for “postnormal science” related to this topic are also identified

Adaptation in Small Islands: Research Themes and Gaps

This paper classifies the literature relating to adaptation in small island developing states (SIDS), especially in the Pacific Islands, with a view to identifying gaps where further research could facilitate useful action. The main themes emerging are: (1) Social issues. (2) sectoral impacts of climate change. (3) community-based adaptation (on which most studies are only in informal literature). (4) relocation of communities, both internationally (widely studied though little acted on as yet) or in-country (an emerging response in the Pacific but comparatively little studied). (5) financing at various levels for adaptation (far outweighed by financing for mitigation), (6) islander perceptions of climate change and their information sources. Researchers based in the islands and regional organisations have an important role in recognising these issues and in developing the local skills base needed to deal with them. The Paris Agreement of 2015 is a positive (but as yet inadequate) step towards the international action on climate change that small island developing states need. It would be particularly useful for researchers to document more cases of successes and failures (and the reasons for them) in community-based adaptation, community relocation (especially in-country relocation), and adaptation (or lack of it) in looser peri-urban communities. Researchers can also greatly assist the positions of the islands’ negotiators by documenting the economic and social costs incurred by current and projected climate change, the effectiveness (or otherwise) of the financing mechanisms, and the extent to which ‘loss and damage’ is being incurred