Caribbean climate alert
The Caribbean Regional Climate Centre warns the April–June 2026 outlook shows above‑average temperatures, a delayed rainy season and heightened drought/water‑supply stress for the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands — raising wildfire and potable‑water risk for resorts. Guyana Vice‑President Bharrat Jagdeo told CARICOM this week that the region must 'ditch climate rhetoric for real action,' pushing investment in resilient infrastructure over talk. (rcc.cimh.edu.bb) (kaieteurnewsonline.com)
CariCOF’s April–June 2026 outlook forecasts an early “Caribbean Heat Season” with heatwaves possible from April, above‑average land and sea temperatures, high evaporation rates and increased wildfire potential extending through May or longer. (rcc.cimh.edu.bb) The CariCOF drought briefing shows moderate short‑term drought in the northwest and northern Bahamas and identifies moderate long‑term drought in parts of western and eastern Cuba and Jamaica, while a drought watch was advised for The Bahamas and northern Cuba in the end‑April agricultural outlook. (rcc.cimh.edu.bb) Resorts already use on‑site desalination and reuse: Sandals Emerald Bay operates a seawater reverse‑osmosis desalination and wastewater‑reuse system on Great Exuma, and Fluence’s NIROBOX deployment for Resorts World Bimini is sized at 800,000 GPD (≈3 million L/day). (sevenseaswater.com) (fluencecorp.com) Grand Cayman’s Abel Castillo desalination complex supplies up to about 3.0 million US gallons per day of potable water across its facilities and includes four storage tanks totalling 6 million US gallons capacity, illustrating the scale of utility‑level desalination serving hotels and tourist zones. (caymanwater.com) At a CARICOM meeting on 26 March 2026 Vice‑President Bharrat Jagdeo pressed for fast‑tracked financing and tangible investment in resilient infrastructure rather than “fancy speeches,” urging reforms to climate finance institutions to speed funding to vulnerable Caribbean states. (kaieteurnewsonline.com) (ignitenews.com) Fluence notes its NIROBOX units ship in 40‑ft containers and can be sited rapidly, and Seven Seas offers turnkey O&M water‑supply contracts where clients pay for produced water — concrete infrastructure models that align with Jagdeo’s call for investment in resilient, deployable water systems to reduce reliance on trucked or imported bottled water. (fluencecorp.com) (h2oglobalnews.com)
