A new study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) estimates that 4.2 million people in Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean and in the Pacific are living in areas that are prone to flooding due to rising sea levels.
In addition to coastal erosion, rising sea levels are expected to negatively impact economic output and employment, and could aggravate inflation and cause an increase in government debt. The Development Bank says the Caribbean is on the frontlines of climate change, and it is critical to adapt and improve the resilience of cities in coastal zones, especially those experiencing rapid urbanization. The study says one out of five residents of Caribbean live at a low sea level. This is most extreme in The Bahamas where over 80 per cent of the population lives at low elevations.