Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Factors Influencing Perceptions of Climate Change Among Caribbean Coastal Artisanal Fishers: Case Study of Old Harbour Bay, Jamaica

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Globalization, Agriculture and Food in the Caribbean

Abstract

Climate change impacts on Small Island Developing States have been well-documented, highlighting the disproportionate effects on many communities in these regions. Coastal communities have been listed to be at the forefront of climate change impacts. For the Caribbean the exposure to climate-related hazards, together with socioeconomic factors and the adaptive capacity of the community, all affect overall vulnerability. Understanding how coastal communities or subsections thereof adjust to the impacts of climate change on their daily activities is important, especially in cases where livelihoods are threatened by these impacts. The current chapter seeks to understand the levels of knowledge regarding climate change, perceptions related to the impacts of climate change on livelihoods, and current strategies that are being used to adjust to climate change among fishers. The case study of Old Harbour Bay, Jamaica, will be used to articulate patterns within the broader Caribbean context. For fishers, there are high levels of knowledge about the causes of climate change. Additionally, there is a clear, perceived relationship between climate change and threats to the physical environment and to livelihoods. Taking these perceptions into consideration, the question that must be addressed is the notion of what type of strategies, if any, are being used to adjust to the threats to livelihoods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Pseudocauses were included to cross-check whether individuals have a true understanding of the causes of climate change based on the Western scientific understanding.

References

  • Baptiste, A.K. 2013a. Climate change adaptation among small scale fishers in Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. Caribbean Geography 18: 39–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baptiste, A.K. 2013b. Local versus expert perception of climate change: An analysis of fishers in Trinidad and Tobago. In Cases on the diffusion and adoption of sustainable development practices, ed. H.E. Muga and K.D. Thomas. Hersey: IGI Global.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baptiste, A.K. 2014. “Experience is a great teacher”: Citizens’ reception of a proposal for the implementation of green infrastructure as stormwater management technology. Community Development 45(4): 337–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baptiste, A.K. forthcoming-a. Of starving horses and growing grass: Resilience versus dependency in a Caribbean fishing community. In World turning!: New perspectives on race, class, gender, and global climate change and sustainability, ed. P.C. Godfrey and D. Torres. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baptiste, A.K. forthcoming-b. Comparative vulnerabilities and adaptation strategies of Caribbean fishers: The case of Old Harbour Bay, Jamaica. In The Caribbean region: Adaptation and resilience to global change, ed. D. McGregor, D. Barker, K. Rhiney, and T. Edwards. Mona: University of the West Indies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baptiste, A.K., C. Foley, and R. Smardon. 2015. Understanding urban neighborhood differences in willingness to implement green infrastructure measures: A case study of Syracuse, NY. Landscape and Urban Planning 136: 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bord, R.J., A. Fisher, and R.E. O’Connor. 1997. Is accurate understanding of global warming necessary to promote willingness to sacrifice? Risk: Health Safety and Environment 8: 339–354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bord, R.J., A. Fisher, and R.E. O’Connor. 1998. Public perceptions of global warming: United States and international perspectives. Climate Research 11(1): 75–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bostrom, A., M. Granger Morgan, B. Fischhoff, and D. Read. 1994. What do people know about global climate change? 1. Mental models. Risk Analysis 14(6): 959–970.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brechin, S.R. 2003. Comparative public opinion and knowledge on global climatic change and the Kyoto protocol: The US versus the world. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 23: 106–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caricom Fisheries Resource Assessment and Management Program [CFRAMP]. 2000. Jamaica national marine fisheries atlas. http://moa.gov.jm/Fisheries/Ja_National_Marine_Atlas.php. Viewed 6 May 2015.

  • Codjoe, S.N.A., L.K. Atidoh, and V. Burkett. 2012. Gender and occupational perspectives on adaptation to climate extremes in the Afram Plains of Ghana. Climatic Change 110(1–2): 431–454.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel, J. 2012. Sampling essentials: Practical guidelines for making sampling choices. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driesen, D.M., and D. Popp. 2010. Meaningful technology transfer for climate disruption. Journal of International Affairs 64(1): 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO]. 2005. Fishery and aquaculture country profiles: Jamaica. ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/DOCUMENT/fcp/en/FI_CP_JM.pdf. Viewed 6 May 2015.

  • Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO]. 2012. Agriculture disaster risk management plan: Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, J.D. 2013. Ford responds. American Journal of Public Health 103(1): e6–e7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fransson, N., and T. Garling. 1999. Environmental concern: Conceptual definitions, measurement methods, and research findings. Journal of Environmental Psychology 19(4): 369–382.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fry, I. 2005. Small Island developing states: Becalmed in sea of soft law. Reciel 14(2): 89–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of Jamaica [GOJ]. 2010. Statistical trend (2001–2010). Kingston: Government of Jamaica.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kempton, W., J.S. Booster, and J.A. Hartley. 1995. Environmental values in American culture. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kollmuss, A., and J. Agyeman. 2002. Mind the gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior? Environmental Education Research 8(3): 239–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kong, G.A. 2006. Consideration of socio-economic and demographic concerns in fisheries and coastal area management and planning in Jamaica. In Socio-economic indicators in integrated coastal zone and community-based fisheries management: Case studies from the Caribbean, ed. U. Tietze, M. Haughton, and S.V. Siar. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazrus, H. 2012. Sea change: Island communities and climate change. Annual Review of Anthropology 41: 285–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie-Mohr, D. 2000. Promoting sustainable behavior: An introduction to community-based social marketing. Journal of Social Issues 56(3): 543–554.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mertig, A.G., and R.E. Dunlap. 1995. Public approval of environmental protection and other new social movement goals in western Europe and the United States. International Journal of Public Opinion Research 7(2): 145–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mertz, O., K. Halsnaes, J.E. Olesen, and K. Rasmussen. 2009. Adaptation to climate change in developing countries. Environmental Management 43(5): 743–752.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mog, J., W. Kersten, M.M. Rahaman, M. Keskinen, T.J. Downs, S.M. Wahid, R. D’Almeida Martins, H. Connor, L.E. Williamson, M. Moezzi, A. Houri, B. Kumar, R.B. Hiremath, B. Scholtens, O.C. Ajayi, F.K. Akinnifesi, G. Sileshi, and O.A. Somorin. 2009. What would be the three key preconditions for jumpstarting or scaling up the transfer of environmentally sound technologies for climate change to developing countries? Natural Resources Forum 33(4): 334–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nanlohy, H., A.N. Bambang, A.N. Ambariyanto, and S. Hutabarat. 2014. Coastal communities knowledge level on climate change as consideration in mangrove ecosystems management in Kotania Bay, West Seram Regency. Procedia Environmental Sciences 23: 157–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nurse, L.A., R.F. McLean, J. Agard, L.P. Briguglio, V. Duvat-Magnan, N. Pelesikoti, E. Tompkins, and A. Webb. 2014. Small islands. In Climate change 2014: Impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Part B: Regional aspects. Contribution of working group II to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, ed. V.R. Barros, C.B. Field, D.J. Dokken, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach, T.E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K.J. Ebi, Y.O. Estrada, R.C. Genova, B. Girma, E.S. Kissel, A.N. Levy, S. MacCracken, P.R. Mastrandrea, and L.L. White. Cambridge, UK/Nee York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pe’er, S., D. Goldman, and B. Yavetz. 2007. Environmental literacy in teacher training: Attitudes, knowledge, and environmental behavior of beginning students. The Journal of Environmental Education 39(1): 45–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plotnikoff, R.C., M. Wright, and N. Karunamuni. 2004. Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to climate change in Alberta, Canada: Implications for public health policy and practice. International Journal of Environmental Health Research 14(3): 223–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pulwarty, R.S., L.A. Nurse, and U.O. Trotz. 2010. Caribbean islands in a changing climate. Environment 52(6): 16–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rea, L.M., and R.A. Parker. 2005. Designing & conducting survey research: A comprehensive guide, 3rd ed. San Francisco: Josey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, A. 2008. Development trends in Jamaica’s coastal areas and the implications for climate change. http://www.pioj.gov.jm/portals/0/sustainable_development/jamaica_climate_change_paper.pdf

  • Schahn, J., and E. Holzer. 1990. Studies of individual environmental concern: The role of knowledge, gender, and background variables. Environment and Behavior 22(6): 767–786.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shah, K.U., H.B. Dulal, C. Johnson, and A. Baptiste. 2014. Understanding livelihood vulnerability to climate change: Applying the livelihood vulnerability index in Trinidad and Tobago. Geoforum 47: 125–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Social Development Commission [SDC]. 2009. Community Profile: Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine. Kingston: Government of Jamaica.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sterman, J.D., and L. Booth Sweeney. 2007. Understanding public complacency about climate change: Adults’ mental models of climate change violate conservation of matter. Climatic Change 80(3–4): 213–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sterman, J. 2011. Communicating climate change risks in a skeptical world. Climatic Change 108(4): 811–826.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tessa, B., and P. Kurukulasuriya. 2010. Technologies for climate change adaptation: Emerging lessons from developing countries supported by UNDP. Journal of International Affairs 64(1): 17–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, E.U., and P.C. Stern. 2011. Public understanding of climate change in the United States. American Psychologist 66(4): 315–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wegner, T. 2007. Applied business statistics: Methods and excel-based applications. Cape Town: Juta & Co.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hamilton, UK

    April Karen Baptiste

Authors
  1. April Karen Baptiste
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to April Karen Baptiste .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

    Clinton L. Beckford

  2. Department of Geography and Geology, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica

    Kevon Rhiney

Copyright information

© 2016 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Baptiste, A.K. (2016). Factors Influencing Perceptions of Climate Change Among Caribbean Coastal Artisanal Fishers: Case Study of Old Harbour Bay, Jamaica. In: Beckford, C., Rhiney, K. (eds) Globalization, Agriculture and Food in the Caribbean. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53837-6_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53837-6_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-53836-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-53837-6

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation