Saint Kitts and Nevis

Background

The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis form the shapes of a baseball bat and ball, respectively. The islands have a combined area of 261 square km (101 sq miles), with Saint Kitts nearly twice as large as Nevis. The two islands are separated by a 3 km (1.9 miles) -wide channel called 'The Narrows." The country has a total coastline of 135 km (84 miles). Both islands are of volcanic origin and have a mountainous terrain, reaching a maximum elevation of 1,160 m (3,800 ft).²

Saint Kitts and Nevis has a tropical climate, but because of the prevailing northern winds, the country is among the coolest and least humid of the Caribbean nations.³ Temperatures average approximately 27 °C (81 °F), with little seasonal or temperature variation. The rainy season lasts from May to November. Mountainous regions average 2.5-4 m (8-13 ft) of annual rainfall, much more than the average 1 m (3 ft) of rain along the coasts. The country is vulnerable to damage from tropical storms. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 caused US $43 million in damages; hurricane Luis and Marilyn in 1995 caused over $55 million, and hurricane Georges in 1998 caused $74 million.⁴

The population of Saint Kitts and Nevis is about 40,100 and has a current growth rate of 0.85%.⁵   Over half of the inhabitants live in coastal areas.⁶ The capital, Basseterre, is located on the southwestern coast of Saint Kitts Island and has a population of about 15,000. More than 90% of the inhabitants are of African descent, with the remainder comprised mostly of British, Portuguese and Lebanese.⁷ While the population is not heavily socially stratified, there are class differences based on economic status, which are in part due to a long trend of labor emigration to other nations⁸ Main religions in the country are Anglican, various other protestant churches, and Roman Catholic.⁹  

Saint Kitts and Nevis had been inhabited by Caribbean Indians for hundreds of years before the first British settlers arrived in 1623. The islands became an associated state of the United Kingdom with full internal autonomy in 1967.  The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971.¹⁰ The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved full independence in 1983, though they still recognize the British royal family as a figurehead. Currently the country is a parliamentary democracy, with elections taking place every five years.¹¹

Agricultural products include sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas, and fish.¹² Rainfall variability and destructive impacts from hurricanes as mentioned above exacerbate crop growing on both islands. Lower and more unreliable rainfall as well as extended periods of drought and therefore unstable water supply account for slower agricultural development on Nevis compared to Saint Kitts. Soil erosion stands for another obstacle for successful farming.¹³

Like other Caribbean nations, the islands have experienced many economic fluctuations in recent years. Sugar had been the economy’s mainstay until the 1970s, but decades of declining profit margins caused the government to close the state-run industry in 2005. Since then, the government has aimed to diversify the agricultural sector and encourage tourism. The country enjoyed strong economic growth during the 1990s, but, hurricanes in 1998 and 1999 and the terrorist attacks of 2001 crippled the tourism industry. The economy has since recovered, and had a gross domestic product (GDP) of $785 million, or $19,700 per person, with a 3.5% growth rate in 2008.  However, the government remains constrained by a debt burden equal to nearly double annual GDP. Today, the main industries on St. Kitts and Nevis remain tourism, construction, garments, and electrical components, with key export goods of coconut products, electrical machinery and garments.  The United States is the country's dominant trade partner.¹⁴

Impacts and threats

The impacts of climate change on Saint Kitts and Nevis are similar to those other Caribbean islands have or are predicted to experience.

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Source: Nesnad. Author: Kayokayo. Permission: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license.

Sea level rise will force the dominantly coastal population inland, though this is will be difficult due to the rugged and mountainous terrain of the interiors of both islands.  Sea level rise will also accelerate the rate of coastal erosion and expose new areas of the islands to storm surge during storms.

Rising ocean temperature and increased ocean acidification will stress marine and coastal ecosystems, including increased coral bleaching and decreased biodiversity. This could lead to negative impacts on coastal fisheries as well as an increase in wave energy impacts on the coastal shores resulting in erosion.¹⁵ Higher ocean temperatures will also increase the risk of stronger hurricanes.  Changes to rainfall patterns, while uncertain, could significantly harm food and water security.  These impacts would have serious economic consequences, primarily because of a likely deterioration of the tourism industry due to loss of coastal infrastructure and damage to the islands' ecosystems.¹⁶

Climate change is likely to cause problems for human health on Saint Kitts and Nevis: Higher precipitation and  temperatures can trigger a rise of transmissible diseases. Due to rising water tables, water quality could degrade, unhygienic conditions worsen, making it easier to transfer water borne diseases.¹⁷

Although some data on the impacts and threats of climate change on Saint Kitts and Nevis is available, more research needs to be done to moderate repercussions.

Adaptation and mitigation strategies

As Saint Kitts and Nevis is highly susceptible to the effects of climate change but emits very little greenhouse gases, actions to adapt to climate change are far more urgent than reduction of  emissions.  However, mitigation opportunities are of value. Apart from playing a part in global reduction of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, it contributes to the reduction of a country's reliance on very expensive fossil fuel imports.

Footnotes

1.  St Kitts-Nevis ratifies Kyoto protocol on climate change. Caribbean Net News. 20 July 2007. Retrieved on: 24 June 2009.

2.  CIA. The World Factbook. Saint Kitts and Nevis. Retrieved on: 24 June 2009.

3.  The Guardian. Country Profile: Saint Kitts and Nevis. Updated 24 April 2009.  Retrieved on: 26 April 2009.

4.  St. Kitts and Nevis. Initial National Communication. UNFCCC. Submitted November 2001. p. 8-9

5.  CIA. The World Factbook. Saint Kitts and Nevis. Retrieved on: 26 April 2009.

6.  R. Jeffers and J. Hughes. Using Economic Incentive Mechanisms to Promote Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hotel Sector: Saint Kitts and Nevis. Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change (CPACC). p. 5. Retrieved on: 9 July 2009.

7.  The Guardian. Country Profile: Saint Kitts and Nevis. Updated 20 April 2009. Retrieved on: 26 April 2009.

8.  Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis Website. Non-Residents. Updated 15 Feb 2008. Retrieved on: 26 April 2009.

9.  CIA. The World Factbook. Saint Kitts and Nevis. Retreived on: 24 June 2009.

10.  CIA. The World Factbook. Saint Kitts and Nevis. Retrieved on: 26 April 2009.

11.  Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis Website. Federal Government. Updated 21 March 2008. Retrieved on: 26 April 2009.

12.  CIA. The World Factbook. Saint Kitts and Nevis. Retrieved on: 26 April 2009.

13.  St. Kitts and Nevis. Initial National Communication. UNFCCC. Submitted November 2001.

14.  CIA. The World Factbook. Saint Kitts and Nevis. Retrieved on: 27 April 2009.

15.  National Communication Support Programme. Technology Needs Assessment for Climate Change: St. Kitts and Nevis. UNDP. Retrieved on: 4 July 2009.

16.  St. Kitts and Nevis. Initial National Communication. UNFCCC. Submitted November 2001. p. 35-8

17.  National Communication Support Programme. Technology Needs Assessment for Climate Change: St. Kitts and Nevis. UNDP. Retrieved on: 4 July 2009.

18.  International Emissions Data: Total Emissions. Energy Information Administration.  United States Dept. of Energy. Retrieved on: 4 July 2009.

19.  St. Kitts and Nevis. Initial National Communication. UNFCCC. Submitted November 2001. p. 47-8.

20.  Global Environmental Facility. Project Details: Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme. 2007. Retrieved on: 4 July 2009.