The impacts of the hazards are aggravated by shared inherent characteristics of the Caribbean countries, such as their heavy dependence on tourism and agriculture. According to available data, environmental change is expected to entail stronger variations between droughts and strong rains and will likely exacerbate the vulnerability of these countries, as slow-onset factors, such as sea level rise and desertification take a toll on local economies and livelihoods. While the global frequency of tropical cyclones may decrease or remain the same, an increase is expected in their average maximum wind speed and sea level rise is likely to compound cyclone surge impacts. Although many countries have made real progress towards taking collective action on disaster management, there is still a pressing need to enhance these efforts in order to develop more comprehensive mechanisms to mitigate and manage the consequences of environmental hazards.

Governments, as well as international and regional organizations, are recognizing that prompt actions are required to develop effective conceptual and practical frameworks for managing the risks and mitigating the impacts of environmental change. In order to effectively address these challenges, focus should be directed towards building resilience and coordinating integrated responses involving all key actors.