Barbados (sea level rise)

Like some other Caribbean islands, Barbados is formed largely from corals and limestone, which means it is naturally very permeable, and therefore, susceptible to water seepage.

As sea levels rise, this inherent permeability means that the country’s freshwater supply is vulnerable to saltwater intrusion (Mounsey, 2019). Already dealing with water insecurity, this intrusion further limits available water for drinking and irrigation, causing Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, to say, “I don’t call it climate change. It’s change for those who are not affected by the crisis. For us, it’s a crisis” (United Nations, 2021).

Water scarcity is not the only consequence of rising seas that Barbados experiences. Although not typically in the path of Caribbean hurricanes, Barbados faces storm surges and flooding from nearby hurricanes, both of which are worsened with rising seas.

Similarly, the Scotland district in the east of the country experiences regular landslides, the consequence of higher seas seeping into, and disintegrating the fragile rock. Rising seas, she notes, are “measured in lives and livelihoods,” and a 2°C warming would be a “death sentence” to her country (UN Climate Change, 2021).

Read more about sea level rise here.

Read more about water insecurity here.