CI Climate Change Risk Assessment Full Report

The Cayman Islands Government (National Climate Change Committee) published a draft ‘Climate Change Policy’ in September 2011, aimed at facilitating the transition toward a climate-resilient, low-carbon economy. This ‘Climate Change Policy’ included a commitment to “Integrate hazard vulnerability and risk assessments into development planning processes and utilize environmental impact assessments (EIAs) to assist with decision making”. 

The present report commissioned by the Cayman Islands Government comprises the first step towards a systematic update for the (now decade old) National Climate Change Policy as well as providing key evidence ahead of a planned Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) to be completed in summer 2022. The primary purpose was to generate a ‘long list’ of risks that can subsequently be scored and prioritised as part of the risk assessment process. 

This ‘evidence report’ draws on varied sources including, but not limited to, peer review scientific journals, technical reports, book chapters, monitoring datasets, IPCC model outputs, and public media communications. Systematic monitoring and local studies provide the most accurate characterisation of baseline conditions and trends, but in many cases, this level of detail was not available for the Cayman Islands. 

This ‘evidence report’ offers the most detailed assessment of climate change impacts ever undertaken for the Cayman Islands. Indeed, this is probably the most detailed assessment for any island group in the Caribbean 

Published: 12 February 2025

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Category: Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources, Ministry of Health, Environment & Sustainability (MHES)