By Zoila Palma: Jamaica’s Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda, has called for concrete and sustained action following the adoption of a new United Nations Declaration on Sea-Level Rise.
Speaking on behalf of CARICOM at the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on Sea-Level Rise on September 24, 2026, Samuda said the declaration must translate international commitments into meaningful support for vulnerable Caribbean states.
Samuda warned that rising sea levels are already affecting communities across the Caribbean, contributing to coastal erosion, the salinization of freshwater sources and soils, and the loss of land on which communities, livelihoods and cultural identities depend. “The sea is not merely approaching our doorsteps, it is already there,” he stated.
Minister Samuda outlined 3 priorities for addressing the impacts of rising seas: establishing a framework to protect those most severely affected, ensuring access to timely, predictable and grant-based climate finance, and strengthening coordination across climate, ocean, human rights and development systems. He stressed that Caribbean countries need practical support to respond to the growing risks.
The UN Declaration recognizes sea-level rise as an issue of international concern and addresses matters particularly important to Small Island Developing States, including the continuity of statehood and the stability of maritime zones as coastlines change.
The post International News: Jamaica’s Minister of Water and Environment calls for concrete action on UN Sea-Level Rise Declaration appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Jamaica’s Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda, has called for concrete and sustained action following the adoption of a new United Nations Declaration on Sea-Level Rise. Speaking on behalf of CARICOM at the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on Sea-Level Rise on September 24, 2026, Samuda said the declaration
The post International News: Jamaica’s Minister of Water and Environment calls for concrete action on UN Sea-Level Rise Declaration appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
