From left: Ambassador Bagher Asadi, chairman of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Body for Implementation; Dean Peart, Minister of Local Goverment and Environment; Roberto Acosta of the UNFCCC Secretariat, and Kishan Kumarsingh, share a joke on the opening day of a three-day meeting on climate change in Kingston on Monday. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Small island Developing States (SIDS), including Jamaica, say they want more resources, funding and expertise to implement strategies to lessen the effects of climate change.

Representatives from these countries attending a three-day expert meeting on adaptation strategies organised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in New Kingston on Tuesday, lamented that the scarcity of resources and funds were being compounded by brain drain. Hence, they say, there is a lack of expertise to work on the development of the necessary strategies.

Jeffery Spooner, head of the climate branch at the National Meteorological Service, said, "The limited resources available for climate change activities (should) be addressed." He added that "having the political will once we get these resources in place" would facilitate the implementation of the appro-priate strategies.

Aim to slow climate change

This is the third meeting organised by the UNFCCC Secretariat with various regions comprising small-island states around the world. The initiative forms part of efforts by the signatories to the Kyoto Protocol to slow climate change by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases.

Despite these challenges, however, Spooner pointed out that Jamaica was the first country in the Caribbean to implement an adaptation project - the Wigton Wind Farm in Manchester. He said efforts were currently being made to develop other projects in the areas of biofuel and solar energy technologies.

Jamaica taking a lead

Spooner said the methodology for the project on the development of solar energy technology had already been approved by the executive board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) established by the UNFCCC. Under the CDM, SIDS have the opportunity to earn money from projects that reduce the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are believed to be the main cause of climate change.

"Jamaica is really taking a lead role, our minister and the entire environment fraternity in Jamaica are very much aware and have bought into the whole climate change related activities," he added.

In the meantime, Minister Dean Peart said it was important for SIDS to move swiftly to address climate change given the intensity of weather conditions and the corresponding effects.

"We in the Caribbean know intimately of the damage that was done to several states, including Jamaica, Haiti, Grenada and The Cayman Islands during the very active hurricane season," the minister stressed at the opening day of the meeting on Monday.

He called for more international cooperation among the parties.

The outcome of this meeting along with those of the previously-held workshops will be submitted for consideration at the 25th session of the UNFCCC's Subsidiary Body for Implementation to be held in Bonn, Germany.