Thomas C. Famous. Photo: Provided

No matter where one lives in the region, we have the following going for us; almost 365 days of warm sunshine, fresh clean air, fifty shades of crystal clear waters, colourful fauna and flora and most of all warm and friendly people speaking a variety of dialects.

However, living in the region has also shown us we could be caught up in the crosshairs of some of the most violent hurricanes in history.

Here is a snapshot of some of what we have had to contend with over the last two decades:

• Hurricane Ivan 2004
• Hurricane Irma 2017
• Hurricane Maria 2017
• Hurricane Dorian 2019
• Hurricane Humberto 2019

There were more, but this gives a brief reminder that almost every island grouping in the region has been severely affected by these acts of nature.

There is sufficient data that shows a correlation between climate change, in particular, warming sea temperatures and the increase in the frequency and strength of hurricanes

“The analysis, of satellite images dating to 1979, shows that warming has increased the likelihood of a hurricane developing into a major one of Category 3 or higher, with sustained winds greater than 110 miles an hour, by about 8 percent a decade.”- New York Times May 18, 2020

So, for us in the region, climate change has a negative effect on our very lives.

Covid reality

Yet anotherstark reality that we have had to face recently was the possibility of starvation.

Starvation may be a harsh term; however, the reality is that during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, several islands were facing the distinct possibility of a shortage of food supplies.

Some supermarkets literally had to ration how many items of meat customers could purchase.

This is the side effect of us, as a region, being overly reliant on importing goods from America versus producing our own food supplies.

Needed conversation

As Caribbean people, out of sheer survival, we have always been solution orientated.

This Thursday August 13, 2020, we will be having, their first in a series of conversations with regional experts in the areas of both; Climate Change and Food Security.

We are honoured to have Ms Daphne Ewing Chow, regional journalist and senior contributor with Forbes, and Peter Ivey,  food security activist and Founder of Mission: FoodPossible.

So tune into Bermuda Broadcasting Company Power 95 on your FM Dial or via Tunein.com at 5:00pm Bermuda time, 4:00pm Eastern Caribbean time or 3:00pm Western Caribbean time.

We look forward to informing you.