Samuda welcomes new declaration tackling sea level rise

KINGSTON, Jamaica— Minister of Water, Environment, and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda is welcoming the move by world leaders to approve the United Nations Declaration on Sea Level Rise, but says the declaration must translate into communities through greater cooperation and financial support for small island developing states.

Samuda, who delivered a statement on behalf of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) at a high-level meeting on addressing the existential threats posed by sea-level rise at the UN headquarters on Wednesday, outlined that in the Caribbean region, the average sea level is expected to rise by 1.4 meters by the end of the century, translating to 5mm of sea-level rise every year.

“The rise in sea level could impact coastal communities of the Caribbean if they are less than 3 meters above the sea. In many parts of our region, inhabited land rises scarcely one meter above sea level, while much of our population, critical infrastructure and economic activity is concentrated along vulnerable coastlines,” Samuda stressed.