Caricom Today:  

The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signed an agreement to pursue areas of technical cooperation in the use of nuclear science and technology to combat climate change in the Caribbean, at the headquarters of the IAEA in Vienna, Austria on August 8.

The Practical Arrangement provides the framework for collaboration to address challenges faced by the Member States of both organisations and as Small Island Developing States in meeting the mitigation and adaptation challenges of climate change. Signing the agreement were Executive Director of the CCCCC Kenrick Leslie and Ms Najat Mokhtar Director, Technical Cooperation Department, Division of Asia and the Pacific, representing Dazhu Yang, Deputy Director General.

The Caribbean Community Member States that are party to the IAEA as well as the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) are also meeting at the IAEA Headquarters to work out the details on a technical cooperation programme that would use nuclear science and technology to build climate resilience within the region.

During the meeting participants are exposed to the work of the IAEA in the areas of food and agriculture, the marine environment, energy planning and water resource management. The participants are also scheduled to visit the Isotope Hydrology Lab and the Seibersdorf-based Agriculture and Biotechnology labs.

The IAEA helps countries to use nuclear science and technology to monitor emissions and environmental changes to the ocean and ecosystems, mitigate sources of greenhouse gas emissions from energy production and land use, and adapt to new climate realities including food and water shortages and ecosystem losses.

The CCCCC is the responsible agency within the Caribbean Community to assist the Member States to mitigate and adapt to the challenges of climate change.