CARIWIG Case Study Report 8

The case study evaluates the PRECIS Regional Climate Model (RCM) and Tropical Storm Model (TSM) to project wind climate trends in Barbados. While the RCM showed some biases in baseline simulations, projections from the aenwh-driven model suggest small increases in mean wind speed and a higher frequency of days exceeding 8 ms-1 by the 2080s. The TSM 'what if' scenarios indicated that Hurricane Katrina would cause the most damage due to the longest persistence of maximum wind speeds. These findings highlight risks to coastal infrastructure, utility plants, and port operations, suggesting a need for updated building codes, extended setback limits, and the restoration of natural buffers like reefs and mangroves.

• The PRECIS Regional Climate Model (RCM) over-estimates mean wind speed compared to observed data from Grantley Adams International Airport, with over-estimations of 1.5 ms-1 for the ERA-driven run and 2 ms-1 for the aenwh-driven run.
• Projections from the aenwh-forced model suggest a small increase in mean wind speed (approximately +7%) and an increase in the frequency of days with Easterly winds (+17%) and days with winds exceeding 8 ms-1 (+14% for all days) by the 2080s.
• The echam5-driven model projections suggest no major changes in wind speed or direction across the three future scenarios.
• Tropical Storm Model (TSM) simulations of Hurricanes Dean, Katrina, and Ivan at Category 3 and 5 showed that Katrina displayed the longest persistence of maximum wind speeds regardless of category.
• Projected increases in wind speed may lead to higher wave energy and 'above normal sea swells' from December to March, potentially increasing sediment transport in the swash zone.
• Increased wind speeds and the landward migration of the high water mark pose risks to critical infrastructure, including energy generation plants of the Barbados Light and Power Company Limited and coastal aquifers of the Barbados Water Authority.

APA

Bartlett, L., & Inniss, D. L. (n.d.). CARIWIG Case Study Report 8. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CARIWIG-Case-Study-Barbados-Coastal-Zone-Protection-Final-Report.pdf

Chicago

Bartlett, Lisa, and Dr. Lorna Inniss. CARIWIG Case Study Report 8. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, n.d. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CARIWIG-Case-Study-Barbados-Coastal-Zone-Protection-Final-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bartlett |first1=Lisa |last2=Inniss |first2=Dr. Lorna |title=CARIWIG Case Study Report 8 |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CARIWIG-Case-Study-Barbados-Coastal-Zone-Protection-Final-Report.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bartlettndcariwig, author = {Bartlett, Lisa and Inniss, Dr. Lorna}, title = {{CARIWIG Case Study Report 8}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CARIWIG-Case-Study-Barbados-Coastal-Zone-Protection-Final-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }