The Bahamas and Climate Change

Due to climate change, the Bahamas is now in financial trouble, as the country has received multiple promises but saw little action. Because of climate change, the Bahamas has experienced stronger and stronger natural disasters in recent years, sending the country spiraling into debt in recent years.

In 2016, Hurricane Milton hit the Bahamas, resulting in 7 million dollars worth of damage. Just three years later, Hurricane Dalton, the strongest storm to ever hit the island, caused yet another 3 billion dollars in damage. By contrast, the country's annual revenue sits at under three million dollars, implying that just a few days of a strong storm could eliminate that entire source of income. As a result, the country's debt sits at around $10 billion and only continues growing.

However, when the country tried to receive financial aid from funds such as the United Nations, it was told it was already in a well enough state, something which is evidently not the case. As climate change brings only stronger storms, the Bahamas is not a major player in accelerating this process, as it produces less than carbon dioxide annually than the US in just 4 hours.

Along with other island nations, the land mass of the Bahamas is shrinking. Out of the 700 islands in the islands, nearly all of them are just 10 feet above sea level, meaning many islands will be under water in just 50 years if action is not taken.

1. Borenstein, S. (2024, September 25). Bahamas seeks help to pay off debt brought by huge storms, result of Climate Change. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/bahamas-climate-change-debt-united-nations-edf659ccd2a8e185288d3378caf84676

2. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2025, June 21). The Bahamas. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/The-Bahamas