Climate Change and Protected Areas: should we be concerned?

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Climate Change and Protected Areas should we be
concerned?

• Floyd Homer
• 19th October, 2002

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projected climate change impacts on the caribbean

• - sealevel rise
• - storm frequency intensity
• - precipitation change
• - drought
• - elevated temperature

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projected senarios by 2050
Variable Low High
Sea level ? .08m ? .88m
Storms 7-10/yr 7-10/yr
Bad Hurricanes 2/yr 4/yr
Rain ? 1.5 ? 13.1
Wind speed ? 5 ? 10-15
Temperature ? 1.4 deg.C ? 2.0 deg.C
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implications for protected areas management - 1

• - monitoring
• coral health and distribution
• wetland size and function
• habitat modification

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implications for protected areas management - 2

• - habitat destruction
• recovery
• restoration
• alternate use

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implications for protected areas management - 3

• - site selection design
• habitat change species shifts
• invasive species

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implications for protected areas management - 4

• - resources procurement
• financing
• expertise
• allocation

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compounding factors

• - earth movements
• - land use
• - habitat degradation
• - inadequate enforcement
• - poor protected areas management practices

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practical considerations

• - implementation of existing policy
• - discharge of national obligations under
  existing international/regional agreements
• - effective management of protected areas

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Thank You

• questions, comments, or multiples thereof?