What are the consequences for islanders?

Climate change may have a major impact on the islanders in the Caribbean region, not only in terms of their health, but also with respect to roads and buildings. In addition, economic sectors such as tourism, fisheries, and agriculture may sustain substantial damage. The potential consequences for each domain are outlined below.

Health

Extreme downpours, storms, and tropical hurricanes may involve dangerous situations for residents, e.g., as a result of falling trees and damaged roads. Vital and vulnerable functions (in Dutch), e.g., hospitals and power plants, may also be jeopardised. In addition, heat can cause more health issues, heat stress, excess mortality, and an increase in pathogens. Examples include insects that can carry diseases, such as mosquitos that can transmit malaria or dengue.

Roads and buildings

Extreme weather poses a risk to the infrastructure of the Caribbean region. Roads and buildings may be damaged during tropical storms. Buildings such as hospitals, police stations, schools, houses, and resorts may be flooded as a result of the rising sea level. The port of Curaçao is also vulnerable to sea level rise. As extreme weather increases, repair costs will also increase.

Tourism

Tourism constitutes an important economic sector on all the Caribbean islands. Rising sea temperatures cause coral bleaching and ocean acidification, which is bad for diving tourism. Increasing heat may also affect the islands’ tourist appeal. Resorts are vulnerable, as they are located on sandy beaches. As a result of the rising sea level, sandy beaches may become increasingly smaller and even disappear altogether. According to the United Nations, a 1-metre sea level rise could partially or fully flood nearly thirty per cent of all resorts. Furthermore, climate change jeopardises cultural heritage. In the south of Bonaire, for example, slave cabins – protected monuments from the island’s slavery past – are under threat.

Fisheries

Climate change directly impacts the fishing industry, which is of major cultural and economic significance. A combination of deteriorating water quality, disappearing fish species, and shrinking coral may seriously harm fisheries. This will have consequences for food availability and for the economy.

Agriculture

The agricultural sector may sustain damage from increasing periods of heat and drought, and from soil salinisation. Seawater flowing increasingly inland during extreme weather may compromise freshwater availability. This combination of factors can affect food production.