Pascal Peduzzi, head of the Early Warning Unit, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/Division of Early Warning and Assessment/GRID-Europe, is predicting that several beaches on the western end of Jamaica could disappear in the next five to 10 years if no action is taken to protect the environment.
According to UNEP, 'the increasing frequency and intensity of disasters, both natural and man-made, are resulting in significant social, economic and environmental losses, which further strain ecosystems to restore, protect and maintain livelihoods affected by these extreme events. In addition, climate change can exacerbate ecosystems degradation as a result of sea level rise, increase in global temperatures and changing patterns of hydro-meteorological hazards such as tropical cyclones, wild fires and drought.'