Must prepare

Discussions need to be had on the matter of COVID-19 and the drought
conditions plaguing the region, to help better prepare for the future.

That’s the view of Dr. David Farrell, Principal of the Caribbean
Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH). He made the comments
yesterday while delivering opening remarks during the virtual
Wet/Hurricane Season Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum.

“COVID occurs for many of us at a time of extreme drought and so how
we deal with the challenges that COVID poses within drought situations
is something that I think that a lot of us should discuss... It is
important for how we would approach a future pandemic during an
extreme dry period,” he said.

Farrell continued, “So I would encourage people to talk about their
experiences or write about their experiences as well, to make sure
that we capture as much information, or learn as much about how you do
this type of adaptation because as we talk to the climate modellers,
one of the things we are hearing is that [they] expect there to be
drier conditions prevailing well into the future and the frequency of
extreme droughts is going to increase.”

Farrell made the point while noting that the drought situation has
exposed some challenges for the region, particularly in respect of
social and economic development, which he said needs to be looked at.
He stressed this, while contending that it is important that the best
information is being shared so as to be able to make the best
forecasts.

“One of the things I always like to go back to is 2009, 2010 in the
region when there was a lot of political upheaval about the drought
during that period. In recent years, while the droughts have been more
severe, one of the things we are not hearing is much of the political
upheaval and I think part of that is the work that you guys have been
doing, with the climate outlooks and all the different climate-related
products that are being produced, not just at CIMH, but regionally and
at the national level,” he stated.

With that in mind, he called for the climate specialists to continue
to develop those products and services and expand them where
applicable, to ensure that the adaptation to drought conditions gets
stronger. This is especially important, he maintained, as extreme
droughts are expected to be a significant feature of the future. (JRT)