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Climate Change in the Caribbean: The Water Management Implications

Cashman, A., Nurse, L., John, C. — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:38:35 PST

Concerns over the status of freshwater availability in the Caribbean region and in particular the eastern Caribbean states have been expressed for at least the past 30 years. There is a growing realization that availability will be vulnerable to extremes of climate behavior and increasing demand for water. Climate modeling for the Caribbean region under a range of scenarios suggests a continuation of a warming in average temperatures, a lengthening of seasonal dry periods, and increases in frequency of occurrence of drought conditions. Using information from the most recent IPCC report and regional downscaling, the authors suggest what some of the macrolevel changes in temperature and rainfall might be and the implications for water resources availability. This article evaluates the existing availability of water resources, the implications of the most recent climate change modeling for the Caribbean region, and the impact of on existing service provision strategies.

Compensation for the Conversion of Sloping Farmland to Forest in China: A Feasibility Study of Payment Based on Carbon Sink

Wang, Z., Lu, Y. — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:23:27 PDT

Although China extended the length of compensation for the Upland Conversion Program (UCP), the sustainability of the program after government compensation expires is still a pending problem. This article proposes an alternative scheme of compensation payment based on the carbon sink of the UCP. Taking Yunnan province as an example, this article explores the feasibility of the scheme by comparing the value and opportunity cost of carbon sink. It is found that it is feasible to change the UCP to a carbon offset project if its length is more than 20 years when the discount rate is 7% and the current bid price (Yuan 91.8/ton) for Chinese carbon offset project prevails. The feasibility becomes higher as site productivity or discount rate decreases, or as the project period is prolonged, ceteris paribus. Increase in carbon sink or price can also make a carbon offset project more feasible. Unlike the existing compensation scheme, this proposed scheme can also provide an incentive for plantation management.