The Impact of Climate Change on Public Health in Small Island States and Caribbean Countries

Abstract

According to popular perspective, the small island states in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific regions are regarded as tropical paradises, far from the rest of the world, with pristine environments, unharmed by climate change. Unfortunately, this assumption is not true. Small island communities are the highest vulnerability to the effects of climate change including warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, rainfall changes, and more severe extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tropical storms. Climate change impacts seagrasses, fisheries, and other marine-based resources. Coral reefs are under severe stress and many small island states are in imminent danger of losing their idyllic beaches and coastlines, which would be catastrophic to tourism, their most important source of income. Small tropical islands are located in climactic zones already prone to increased risk from heat stress, asthma, vector, food, and waterborne diseases. Changing climate conditions can worsen the impacts of these diseases. Thus, the effects of climate change create significant risks to public health, food security, natural resources, and the general economies of small island communities. This chapter highlights the impacts of climate change among small island communities and discusses their vulnerabilities.KeywordsSmall island statesVulnerabilityGlobal warmingPublic health