Castries, Saint Lucia. March 22nd, 2025. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) continues to join our international partners in the call for global action in securing our freshwater resources. We remain dedicated to safeguarding the health and well-being of Caribbean citizens in the face of the climate change crisis. Despite the absence of glaciers in the Caribbean, global interconnectivity can allow for the effects of rapidly melting glaciers to threaten the health and livelihoods of our people and key economic sectors.

Glaciers serve as vital freshwater reservoirs, supplying millions of people with safe drinking water and supporting ecosystems around the world. However, due to climate change, glaciers are melting rapidly, disrupting water availability and affecting millions through floods, droughts and rising sea levels. Glacier loss is an existential threat to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean as many are vulnerable to sea level rise with significant economic activity, from fisheries and tourism, concentrated in coastal areas. There are CARPHA Member States where at least 80% of the land lies below 10 meters in elevation and therefore face severe economic and infrastructural threats from rising sea levels. Arresting glacier melt is essential for safeguarding both human populations and planetary ecosystems.

World Water Day, observed annually on March 22, was established by the United Nations in 1993 to raise awareness about the importance of water and to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. World Water Day highlights global water-related challenges such as water scarcity, water pollution, water inaccessibility, poor water management practices and water-borne diseases. The Day is dedicated to promoting awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water for daily use. CARPHA’s strategic priorities reinforces its commitment to champion the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies, manage public health threats and support efforts towards the development of policy aimed at preserving ecosystems, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and safeguarding vital water resources.

Dr. Lisa Indar, CARPHA Executive Director, noted, “Head of States in the Caribbean have been advocating for sustained and collaborative engagement with nations contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Many CARPHA Member States, due to their inherent vulnerabilities, face disproportionate negative impacts from climate change, coupled with limited resources for effective mitigation and recovery. Regional leaders further noted that it is therefore critical that high-emitting countries demonstrate a firm commitment to environmental initiatives and the promotion of sustainable development policies and practices, in order to mitigate the potential for increased global disparities through expanding access to climate financing”.

At the regional level, CARPHA partners with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C), to conceptualise, develop and implement initiatives that address climate-sensitive diseases, extreme weather events and water safety, security and sustainability. For example, the quarterly Caribbean Health-Climatic Bulletin, through partnership with CARPHA, PAHO and CIMH, is an innovative tool that presents climate forecast data and key health messaging.