The Caribbean will benefit from the establishment of the Regional Climate Center (RCC) – the first of its kind in the western hemisphere.
The center – located at the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) in Barbados, was financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
US Ambassador to Barbados and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Linda Taglialatela noted the importance of having such a center in the region.
Caribbean experienced natural phenomena
“In the past two decades, the Caribbean has experienced several natural phenomena, including floods, droughts, and hurricanes, which can threaten economic growth. Also, the region presently accounts for seven of the world’s top 30 water-scarce countries. Barbados is in the top ten of that list,” she said.
The US government provided support for the RCC through infrastructural work at the CIMH, as well as providing staff training and other resources to help manage the center.
Project being planned since 2009
The project got underway following a meeting in 2009. At this meeting, the countries of North America, Central and South America and the Caribbean, which makes up this region of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), discussed the importance of having a regional climate center.
“In 2010, the governing body of the CMO supported our proposal to move in this direction, and we started the demonstration phase in 2012. Eventually, when the WMO’s governing body met in China last October, we took a proposal to them and they were impressed with what they saw. Ultimately, we were approved as a Regional Climate Centre in May of this year,” said Coordinating Director of the Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO) Tyrone Sutherland.
With the establishment of this center, Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency Ronald Jackson urged regional governments to ensure the venture is sustainable, by providing it with the resources it needs to continue its work.
