Implications of climate change on small island developing states: experience in the Caribbean region

As the international community debates long-term strategies to address global warming, the issue is one of increasing concern for small island developing states. Collectively, these countries account for less than 1% of greenhouse gas emissions, yet their vulnerabilities are particularly high. This paper reviews international efforts including a regional effort on the part of 12 Caribbean countries to address this issue. For many countries and especially countries of the Caribbean and other small island developing states, vulnerabilities already exist and will only be exacerbated by accelerated global warming. Dealing with global environmental change will require good, reliable information to monitor change and assess the physical and economic impact of that change. It also will require an institutional and managerial framework that incorporates dynamic change into individual and collective decision-making processes. Small island developing states must be active players affecting long-term solutions to climate change. In the interim, targeted investments to address high priority vulnerabilities are likely to lead to no-regrets outcomes with high environmental and economic benefits.