Climate change resiliency in Caribbean SIDS: building greater synergies between science and local and traditional knowledge

Abstract

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) described the Caribbean as one of the most susceptible regions in the world to climate change. Discourse in the region is vigorous at the policy-making and academic discourse levels, though far less so at the grassroots level, making for a very top down debate and policy-making process. This paper argues that local and traditional knowledge (LTK) in the Caribbean is an invaluable resource and cultural capital that can play a major role in addressing climate change concerns but has been largely untapped. It suggests that combining LTK with modern science can advance the climate change agenda in the region and proposes the establishment of a Caribbean Local and Traditional Knowledge Network (CLTKN) as a mechanism to harness local traditional knowledge and integrate it in regional climate change agendas.