A group of Virgin Islands professionals recently was trained to help assess the effects of climate change here.
A May 18-19 workshop coordinated by the Conservation and Fisheries Department focused on methodologies employed by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, according to Government Information Services.
Dr. Charmaine Gomes, ECLAC’s sustainable development officer, and Dr. Troy Lorde, lecturer with the Department of Economics at the University of the West Indies, were the presenters for the session.
Besides the basics of climate change, participants learned the methodology for determining its economic impacts on the coastal and marine sectors. Specific topics included recreational activities, coral reefs, sea-grass beds, mangroves, beaches, marine biodiversity and fisheries, which all overlap with the tourism sector, according to GIS.