What are the consequences of climate change?

The climate is changing rapidly: worldwide temperatures are increasing, and the weather is becoming more and more extreme. These changes are occurring at such a rapid pace that the Earth’s ecosystems cannot sufficiently adapt. Climate change impacts both humanity and nature.

Consequences for residents and nature

The following pages provide more information on the consequences for islanders, e.g., in terms of public health, roads, buildings, and tourism. They also outline the consequences for nature, such as the disappearance of seagrass and coral.

Consequences for Curaçao

On 16 October 2023, delegates from the government, nature organisations, the socio-cultural domain and economic sectors participated in a workshop to explore the main consequences of climate change for the island of Curaçao. The workshop was organised by the Island(er)s at the Helm programme, NAAM, EcoVision N.V. and Climate Adaptation Services (CAS). The results are presented in the report entitled Klimaateffecten op Curaçao [Climate Impacts for Curaçao].

Consequences for Bonaire

During a workshop on 20 October 2023, a similar session was organised for the island of Bonaire, also attended by delegates from the government, nature organisations, the socio-cultural domain and economic sectors. Together, they explored the main consequences of climate change for Bonaire. This workshop was organised by TERRAMAR, Island(er)s at the Helm, Climate Adaptation Services (CAS), the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and Wageningen University & Research (WUR). Interested in the results? The report Climate Impacts for Bonaire (pdf, 3.3 MB) is available for download.