Assessing Climate Change Risks

The Bahamas is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including gradual sea level rise, biodiversity loss, and intensifying hurricanes. Together, these challenges threaten to undermine the country’s potential output over the long term by inflicting damages to physical assets and eroding natural capital, which is vital to its tourism-driven economy. Importantly, these risks are unevenly distributed with smaller islands being more exposed and sensitive than the larger, more developed ones. Addressing these disparities as well as closing economy-wide adaptation needs through investments in structural resilience can unlock large potential output gains.