Dennie Quill, Contributor

A report in Thursday's international edition of the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper painted a worrying picture of the Caribbean's future. Warmer seas and a record hurricane season in 2005 have devastated more than half of the Caribbean's coral reefs. Scientists attached to the World Conservation Union (IUCN) warned that the severe damage to our reefs is likely to continue in the future, given the prediction of rising global temperatures.

Some of the worst-hit areas of the Caribbean contain more than 10 per cent of the world's coral reefs, and include an area from Florida through to the French West Indies and the Cayman Islands, the report said.

The average man in the street who is so preoccupied with survival could not care less about the health of coral reefs. An so many persons make their livelihood from fishing and involvement in tourist activities, such as scuba diving, there has been little emphasis over the years on providing public education about these matters.

Environmentalists who have tried to raise awareness about the effects of degrading the environment are often regarded as loud-mouthed busybodies. But reefs are an important part of the marine ecosystem providing support for more than 4,000 species of fish. The IUCN explained that reefs also play a crucial role as natural breakwaters in protecting coastlines from storms.

Cause for concern

Even if one knows nothing about climate change and coastal erosion, recent news about the flooding of the Palisadoes road should spark concern among everyone. The debate began shortly after Hurricane Ivan in 2004 when huge amounts of sand and debris were deposited across the road, rendering it impassable. That same debate was renewed after hurricanes Felix and Dean.

The arguments have shifted between those who favour relocation to others calling for a decisive plan, which includes investing in engineering works that would mitigate the risk to the most important gateway to the island. The experts have also called for raising of the road level and clambering to allow swift water run-off.

The relocation suggestions have been rejected as being the least viable, and Minister of Transport and Works, Mike Henry, declared in October 2007, "We want to fast-track the protection of the Palisadoes strip." Under the previous government a multimillion-dollar contract had been given to a Cuban firm to do a technical study of the Palisadoes strip which would have been used as a grid in the sustainable protection of the peninsular. Additionally, Cabinet signed a memorandum of understanding in 2007 designating the Palisadoes project a priority.

Warning drums loud

Since we have crossed over into 2008, the warning drums have grown louder. Twice we have seen tremendous tidal energy at the Palisadoes spit resulting in flooding and extensive deposits of coastal sand and debris. This is happening when there is no significant weather disturbance like a hurricane. This occurred in the face of revetment work being carried out by the National Works Agency. Some of the boulders became loose.

Many people, scientists included, are worried that there exists a clear and present danger from rising sea levels. And the constant undermining of the surface by surges could result in the roadway splitting to form a channel. The potential destruction that such a disaster poses is hard to imagine. One cannot forget the opinion of Professor Ted Robinson of the UWI, who reasoned that a tsunami threat does exist for Jamaica and the Palisadoes. He suggested that it may not be of the magnitude of that recorded in the Indian Ocean. However, he stressed that there was no warning system in the Caribbean.

All of this brings into question the Government's coastal management strategies. A rigorous coastal erosion plan is needed for the entire island, since there has been massive construction activity along our endangered coast.

The IUCN report warned that the only way to sustain coral reefs is to carefully manage the direct effects of pollution, fishing and dangerous construction. Scientists say managing these pressures on reefs could lessen the impact of rising sea temperatures.