Small Island Developing States
How small island nations facing existential climate threats have become some of the most influential voices in international climate diplomacy.
Frontline States
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are among the most vulnerable countries on earth. Many Pacific island nations like Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands sit barely a meter or two above sea level. A rise of even half a meter in sea levels would render much of their territory uninhabitable. Storm surges already contaminate freshwater supplies with saltwater. Coral reef bleaching threatens fisheries that communities depend on for food and income. For these nations, climate change is not a future risk; it is a present reality that threatens their very existence.
The Caribbean faces different but equally severe threats. Hurricanes have always been a fact of life, but warming oceans are making them more intense. Hurricane Maria devastated Dominica in 2017, causing damage equivalent to 226 percent of the country's GDP. Barbuda was rendered completely uninhabitable. For small economies with limited fiscal reserves, a single hurricane can erase decades of development.
