Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology

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Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology

• Research Perspectives

Prepared for the GECAFS/SANREM proposal workshop
for the Caribbean Food System 16-17 June,
2005 Georgetown, Guyana By Adrian R. Trotman
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Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology

• Amalgamation of the Caribbean Meteorological
  Institute (established in 1967) and the Caribbean
  Operational Hydrological Institute in 1997,
  Located at Husbands, St. James, Barbados
• Funded by member country governments of the
  English speaking Caribbean 16 countries
• Arm of the Caribbean Meteorological Organization
  responsible for training, research, data
  collection and storage, instrument repair
  maintenance and calibration
• Affiliated with UWI since 1973 and teaches the
  BSc in Meteorology at the Cave Hill Campus

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Storm Surge

• Production of storm surge maps for member
  countries of the eastern Caribbean using TAOS
  model (OAS project)
• Currently have the capability to work with
  Jamaica but not Guyana (outside of domain)

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Tropical Cyclone Activity

• Tracks
• Intensities
• Distribution

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Hydrology and Water Resources

• Flooding of agricultural areas (including flood
  plain mapping CDERA/JICA CADM project)
• Salt water intrusion (some work already done with
  CPACC project for Guyana)

Caparo River Inundation Area by 50-Year Flood
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Climate Trends

• Precipitation (seasonal and annual totals,
  intensity)
• Dry spells, drought
• Temperature (minimum, maximum and mean)
• Sea surface temperatures
• Atmospheric moisture
• Evaporation

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Vulnerability and Impact Assessments

• Water resources
• Agriculture
• MACC project initiative
• Health