OECS Member States have been urged to prepare for more extreme weather conditions and natural disasters as a result of Climate Change. The caution has come from Crispin d’Auvergne, St. Lucia’s Chief Sustainable Development Officer. According to d’Auvergne, a Study done for Saint Lucia in 2008 concluded that while we see an average of one to two Category 4 or Category 5 hurricanes per year, we are likely to see an average of four or five hurricanes of that magnitude each year. According to d’Auvergne, these extreme weather patterns will become “the new normal.” He says the frequency and intensity of extreme weather conditions is likely to increase as a result of Climate Change, and the Caribbean should plan accordingly.
