Flooding in Trinidad and Tobago - A Growing Challenge
Like many Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Trinidad and Tobago is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change — a threat that is expected to accelerate in the coming decades. Weather patterns such as droughts, wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and heatwaves are already becoming more frequent and intense, causing devastating impacts on ecosystems, economies, and communities around the world. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sea levels could rise by as much as one meter by the end of this century (Moore, 2019). This prediction has serious ramifications for low-lying coastal countries like ours, including increased erosion, population displacement, saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources, and damage to vital infrastructure. Coastal communities are especially vulnerable, as rising seas and frequent flooding can jeopardise homes, degrade shorelines, and disrupt livelihoods — placing both people and essential systems under growing pressure.