Climate Justice, SIDS, and Why the Caribbean Must Be Heard 🌍🏝️

Hello, everyone. Amira Jorsling, 22, is pursuing a degree in Environmental Science and Sustainable Technology. I hope to become an environmental specialist who focuses in climate change research and management.

I wish to investigate two interconnected themes that are essential to my studies and my heart: climate justice and the importance of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), particularly in the Caribbean, where the consequences are not just theoretical but lived.

What is Climate Justice? What are SIDS?

Climate justice acknowledges that while climate change is a global concern, its impacts are not distributed equitably. Some people and locations have made very small contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, but they suffer disproportionately from droughts, storms, sea-level rise, and climate-related economic and health impacts.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are vulnerable due to limited land and resources, geographic isolation, reliance on specific economic sectors (e.g. tourism or fisheries), and significant susceptibility to climate risks. Several Caribbean countries are SIDS.

Why Climate Justice & SIDS Go Hand-in-Hand

Caribbean SIDS contribute little to global emissions yet suffer many of the greatest effects of climate change even if global warming continues on "lower" paths. Some difficulties they encounter include:

 • Intensified tropical storms and hurricanes, rising storm surges, and flooding.• Rising sea levels pose a hazard to coasts, freshwater supplies, infrastructure, and settlements.

• Challenges include coral bleaching, seawater intrusion, land loss, and hazards to fisheries.

• Costs associated with rebuilding or adapting to disasters, such as sea barriers, relocation, and early warning systems. 

Scientists have documented many of these effects already: for example, per the IPCC’s Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability report, SIDS are “increasingly affected by increases in temperature … storm surges … sea-level rise … coral bleaching … all of which are already detectable across both natural and human systems.” 

Also, sea level rise in the Caribbean region is reported to be about 10% higher than the global average, which further highlights how SIDS are especially exposed. 

Data shows, for example, that off Jamaica the rate of sea-level rise is ~3.3 ± 0.4 mm/year (1993-2019), which is comparable or slightly higher than global averages, and that recent decades show signs of acceleration. 

Caribbean Groups Pushing for Climate Justice

There are several civil society organizations and coalitions in the Caribbean working on climate justice. Some of them are:

• Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance (CCJA) — A regional coalition (launched in 2022) led by civil society, activists, academics, creatives, media and grassroots actors, convened by groups like CANARI and Panos Caribbean. Its goal is to bring together voices of rights-holders to influence policy, ensure vulnerable communities are heard, and build resilience along just and inclusive lines.  
• The “Caribbean Climate Justice and Resilience Agenda”, developed by CCJA, which outlines priority actions for 2023-2030. Among its priorities: limiting warming to 1.5°C; scaling up locally led adaptation and loss & damage; improving climate finance access for frontline communities; nature-based solutions; gender equity; youth/inclusion; rights-based, earth-centred approaches.  
• Smaller grant initiatives via CCJA / CANARI (and its partners) that support grassroots-projects, advocacy, education, local resilience. These help build capacity and ensure local voices are not left out.  

My Perspective & What Needs to Happen

Growing up, my love for the environment came from watching my mother—who began her career as a hydrological technician and is now an environmental specialist—work to protect natural resources. That inspired me to want to specialize in climate change studies and management so that I too can contribute to solutions that are both scientifically sound and socially fair.

To support climate justice in Caribbean SIDS, I believe the following are needed:

• Policy decisions that integrate local knowledge and rights of vulnerable groups (youth, women, marginalized, Indigenous/Afro-descendant).
• Access to climate finance and technology for adaptation, loss & damage, and resilience building.
• Strong data, monitoring, and scientific research specific to Caribbean SIDS (for example localized sea level rise, storm projections, vulnerability assessments).
• International cooperation so that wealthy, high-emitting nations do their part (supports, transfer of technology, honoring Paris Agreement commitments).

Climate justice in the Caribbean isn’t just a matter of fairness—it’s a matter of survival, dignity and future. SIDS like Barbados, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Dominica, Trinidad & Tobago, and others are living proof that the climate crisis is not distant but immediate.

By combining scientific knowledge, grassroots activism, and rights-based approaches, we can push for a future that is sustainable and just. I hope this post helps you understand why our region matters so much in global climate conversation.

With love,

Amira Jorsling, 22 💫