Displaying items by tag: low lying areas

A UN report has warned that tens of millions in coastal areas of the Caribbean and Latin America face severe healthcare and infrastructure risks due to climate change-induced extreme weather. The UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) states that around 41 million people, or 6% of the region's population, are at risk from storm surges, flooding, and hurricanes. This includes 17% of the Caribbean population. Vulnerable groups, especially women and girls, are disproportionately affected. The report, using satellite imagery, identified over 1,400 key hospitals in at-risk coastal areas; in some Caribbean nations over 80% of hospitals are in these vulnerable zones. This year a highly active Atlantic hurricane season, exacerbated by hotter ocean waters and the La Nina phenomenon, is expected. The report coincides with a meeting in Antigua of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) leaders to discuss climate change impacts and economic solutions.