Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Africa Water, Sanitation May -June 2014 Vol.9 No.3 | Page 32

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SIDS contribute little to the problem of
climate change – the combined annual
carbon dioxide output of these nations
accounts for less than one per cent of
global emissions.

Message of
United Nations
Under-Secretary-General and
UNEP Executive Director
Achim Steiner

to a Green Economy both through its policies and
engagement with the United Nations Environment
Programme by hosting World Environment Day.

Yet they are especially vulnerable to the
changing climate due to their small size,
narrow resource base, susceptibility
to natural hazards, low economic
resilience, and limited capacity for
mitigating and adapting to the effects
of climate change.

Every year on 5 June millions of people across the planet
celebrate World Environment Day, coming together at
community, national and regional level to promote positive
action on the most pressing environmental challenges
of our day. This year’s global host for World Environment
Day is Barbados, one of many Small Island Developing
States (SIDS) facing multi-dimensional issues that require
integrated global action.

Overall, climate change adaptation is a top priority
in SIDS, but lack of financial resources is a challenge
in itself. However, considering that the capital cost of
sea level rise in the Caribbean Community Countries
alone is estimated to reach US$187 billion by 2080
under current practices, investing now to head off
such a massive economic impact makes sound
business sense.

The very existence of low-lying nations,
such as Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall
Islands and Tuvalu, is threatened by
climate change-induced sea level rise.

The right enabling conditions are vital to generate
and stimulate both public and private sector
investments that incorporate broader environmental
and social criteria, and thus address this growing
challenge. You can contribute to this movement by
joining us, in Barbados or wherever you are in the
world, in celebrating World Environment Day and
raising your voice to encourage action.

As one of the smallest independent
states in the world, with a total land
area of just 431 square kilometers,
Barbados faces many of the challenges
outlined above, but it is not passively

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accepting its fate. Barbados has long been a leader in
the Caribbean region in the Green Economy approach.
Its current National Strategic Plan (2006-2025) clearly
identifies “Building a Green Economy: Strengthening the
Physical Infrastructure and Preserving the Environment”
as one of its key aims.
Barbados’s transition to a green economy offers
opportunities for managing natural capital, further
diversifying the economy, increasing resource efficiency
and supporting the goals of poverty reduction and
sustainable development.
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Tremendous potential exists for greening the agricultural,
fisheries, building, transportation and tourism sectors,
and Barbados is demonstrating the political will to move

The very existence of low-lying nations, such
as Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands and
Tuvalu, is threatened by climate change-induced
sea level rise.

Message by
the Prime Minister
of Barbados
H.E. Freundel Stuart
2014 is a banner year for Barbados on many fronts
as we continue with our commitment to advance
an inclusive development paradigm for a Barbados
that is socially balanced, economically viable and
environmentally sound.

As the global host of World Environment Day 2014, the most important day
of the year for environmental action,
Barbados is honoured to stand alongside the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and the rest of the
global WED community in raising our
voices in solidarity with, and support
for, the Small Island Developing States
of the world.
It was 20 years ago when the first
Global Conference on the Sustainable
Development of Small Island States
(SIDS) took place in Barbados. On
that occasion, the world took notice as
small island developing nations made
their voices heard. For the first time, a )