Global Climatic Issues in the Coastal Wider Caribbean Range

Global warming, as a consequence of the greenhouse effect, has serious implications for tropical ecosystems, where meteorological and oceanographic changes are expected to be significant. Temperature and sea-level rise will impact island and tidal ecosystems, as well as economic and social dependencies on tourism. Coastal erosion, wetland loss, decimation of mangrove communities, and coral reefs, and other potential impacts cannot be specifically forecast, but will undoubtedly occur. A regional strategy should address the following: development of techniques to predict probable sea-level changes, identification and curtailment of local activities that may contribute to the greenhouse effect, and development of policies to respond to probable changes.