Drawing on the urgent action needed to attend to the growing impacts of drought in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (CSIDS), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD’s) focal point for St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Eric Brown, has warned that the prolonged dry periods are impacting the livelihoods of people within the Caribbean.
Browne, who was presenting during a side event at the 17th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 17) for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), titled ‘State of Drought in the Caribbean and Global SIDS,’ explained that the conditions are placing pressure on schools, households, farmers and freshwater resources. While drought conditions are reducing available water, some countries have been developing rationing measures that affect daily life athome and in schools.
“The effects are visible, not only in water, but across the natural environment, where once-lush green landscapes are increasingly turning brown as rainfall patterns shift,” he said.
The UNCCD focal point also highlighted the increased risk of saltwater intrusion into freshwater lenses, a serious concern for small island states that rely heavily on limited groundwater and rainfall-fed systems. As rainfall decreases and demand rises, freshwater reserves can become more vulnerable to seawater contamination, threatening both water quality and long-term supply.
He also identified the forthcoming inclusion of the country in the Caribbean Small Islands Developing States (CSIDS) Multi Country Soil Management Initiative for Integrated Landscape Restoration and Climate- Resilient Food Systems (SOILCARE Phase II), a regional project funded by the Global Environment Facility, implemented with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation and executed by the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM), which is expected to reduce degradation in his country. One of the interventions mentioned is the water harvesting and irrigation system in Cayon, St. Kitts and Nevis, an agricultural area, severely impacted by dry spells, making it difficult to obtain a reliable source of water for agriculture. This intervention site, spanning approximately 120 acres of land, provides support to around 14 farmers and one agricultural cooperative, involved in root crops, vegetables and bananas.
Dr. Browne also identified coping strategies, such as the construction of earthen dams to capture and store rainfall during wet periods, as well as the wider use of drip irrigation systems- which have been supported by storage tanks, allowing farmers to utilize water more efficiently to maintain food production during dry spells.
