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. He added that it is estimated that a 0.5 meter rise in sea level will result in 38 per cent of beach loss in the Caribbean, which could impact up to 47 per cent of direct tourism revenue by the year 2100. As such, the minister said the declaration must therefore translate our commitments into concrete and sustained action.

“First, we need a framework for protecting people, especially those directly and most severely affected. It should be one that defines the responsibilities of affected and receiving States, creates pathways for cross-border movement, supports those who remain, and guarantees self-determination,” Samuda said. Additionally, the minister called for adequate financing from both public and private sources to support the long-term implementation of the integrated plans, including support to build and share capacity.

Similarly, Samuda emphasised the need for coherent cooperation across the climate, ocean, human-rights and development systems to create a sustainable and integrated ocean and coastal management plan. “Beyond our political recognition of the issue of sea level rise, this declaration must usher in an era in which solidarity becomes implementation, law becomes protection, and international cooperation secures the future of every State and all people threatened by the rising sea,” he added.