Nature Conservancy Seeks Environmental Solution for Climate Change

While a few people still deny climate change, around three dozen government officials and environmentalists who accept the science predicting higher temperatures and higher sea level gathered at the Emerald Beach Resort on St. Thomas on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss ways the islands can adapt to climate changes.

The Nature Conservancy, with a host of collaborators, sponsored the two-day workshop called USVI Climate Change Eco-based Adaption Workshop; Allowing for Resilient Communities.

Tyler Smith of the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies at the University of the Virgin Islands addressed the two severe bleaching events which have damaged coral in recent years.

Lloyd Gardner of the Virgin Islands Foundation for Development Planning talked about fish migration and changing currents. “We have to think this through in detail,” Gardner said. “We have to get the planning side right.”

Roy Watlington of Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System discussed what the most recent data and measurements tell about the environment.

Although there were presentations by people like Kasey Jacobs of Caribbean Landscape Conservation about climate change models in-progress or available for the Virgin Islands, there was no debate that climate change should not be a concern.

The stated purpose of the Virgin Islands workshop was threefold:
- to document the adaptation to climate change initiatives in the territory that are completed or under way and to identify projects necessary for short-term planning and preparation;
- to demonstrate methods on the use of Geographical Information Systems to identify optimal areas for implementing ecosystem-based adaptation based on ecological and socioeconomic criteria;
- and to develop nature-based solutions to address changes to the coastal and marine environment in the territory.

“We really, really had some good discussions,” said Jeanne Brown of the Nature Conservancy, who moderated Wednesday. “We learned a lot from each other. We now have a better idea of where to go in the future.”

Areas mentioned where possible eco-based adaption strategies could be adopted included Coral Bay on St. John and Salt River Bay on St. Croix and the primary island harbors. Eco-based strategies might include restoring mangrove forest or restoring the reefs.

Criteria set forth for the eco-based projects being discussed included how vulnerable the areas were to storm surge and rising ocean levels and the impact that would have on populations. A project going forward on Union Island in the Grenadines was discussed.

The National Resource Council in 2011 reported that average sea level change since 1990 has been 8 centimeters.

William Linzey, assistant director of the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency, gave an update on the Territorial Hazards Mitigation Plan. He pointed out that though ocean levels were rising, vertical land movements were actually causing some land masses to rise higher above sea level.

Linzey said he would like to see models specifically making predictions about the Virgin Islands include information about continental shelf movement. Most in attendance agreed that information would be valuable.

The earth's atmosphere is made up with 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen. So-called greenhouse gases make up less than 1 percent. However, because of their molecular structure greenhouse gases capture and hold heat instead of reflecting it back in space.