Turning the tide in the Caribbean
Turning the tide in the Caribbean
DW Documentary
Climate change is warming the seas, sea levels are rising and storms are increasingly severe. This affects people and as well as marine ecosystems. The indigenous Guna people of Panama fear their islands are doomed.
More and more often, rising seawater laps into their homes. It seems increasingly likely that the Guna people who live in an archipelago off the northeast coast of Panama will soon be forced to leave.
In Belize, the battle is not yet lost. The Fragments of Hope organization is working to restore the Belize’s barrier reef. Through a process called reseeding, the NGO is helping to bring the country’s barrier reef back from the brink of extinction. Fish are returning and sections of the bleached corals are blossoming in bright colors again. For the people of Belize, it is a sign of hope.
Climate change is a powerful adversary. In the Caribbean it can no longer be ignored. Curaçao is battling the impact of rising sea temperatures. Every year, massive rafts of sargassum wash onto its shores. For sea turtles that get tangled in seaweed, it is a deadly threat. Conservationists from the Turtle Rescue organization brave the waters to retrieve the sea turtles and nurse them back to health.
Veterinarian Odette Doest tends to rescued sea turtles, birds and other animals in her wildlife sanctuary. With Flamingo Bob at her side, she also educates schoolchildren about the importance of conservation. The children adore Flamingo Bob, a rescue bird who now lives permanently at the sanctuary. The feathery wildlife ambassador, Odette Doest says, is the perfect poster bird for conservation.
Posted in 
