Caribbean Wetlands: on the Frontlines of Climate Change
Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica in October 2025, exposed a growing reality across the Caribbean: wetlands, and especially mangroves, are among the most vulnerable ecosystems to severe storms, rising seas and other climate-related impacts. Ironically however, they are also one of the region's most effective natural defences against weather-related events. In recognition of their intrinsic value as the first line of defence for Caribbean coastlines, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is working alongside its members, governments and local communities to promote wetlands’ wise use. The goal is to ensure that these ecosystems continue to protect biodiversity, sustain livelihoods and strengthen the region's resilience to a changing climate change.
By buffering coastlines, storing carbon, filtering water and sustaining fisheries and local livelihoods, Caribbean wetlands are indispensable to both people and nature.
At noon on 28 October 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica's south coast. With maximum sustained winds of 305 km/h, the Category 5 storm became the most powerful hurricane ever to strike Jamaica and one of the strongest hurricanes on record in the Atlantic basin.
The storm also set another unprecedented record: it became the costliest hurricane in Jamaica's history. According to a Damage and Loss Assessment prepared by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica, the hurricane caused an estimated US$12.2 billion in damage and economic losses, equivalent to 56.7% of the country's 2024 Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This figure is more than four times the losses caused by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, which had previously been Jamaica's most expensive storm.
The southern and western regions of Jamaica were among the hardest hit, although the impacts were felt across the entire country. Beyond the destruction of physical assets such as houses, schools, hospitals, tourism facilities, and telecommunications infrastructure, Hurricane Melissa severely disrupted lives and livelihoods and affected many of the country's ecological systems. According to Jamaica's Forestry Department and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), approximately 50% of the island's forest cover including more than 2,000 hectares of mangrove forests were impacted by the hurricane. Critical ecosystem services provided by mangroves, including coastal protection, fisheries support, water regulation and climate resilience were disrupted, with direct implications for livelihoods in affected communities.
Among crucial ecosystems severely affected by the storm was the Black River Lower Morass, located in the parish of St. Elizabeth in southwestern Jamaica. Designated as Jamaica's first Wetland of International Importance under the Convention on Wetlands in 1997, the Black River Lower Morass Ramsar Site covers 13,713 hectares, making it one of the largest freshwater wetland systems on the island.
The site supports exceptional wetland diversity, encompassing twelve distinct Ramsar wetland types across marine, coastal and inland ecosystems. It harbours 207 plant species, 11 of which are endemic, and more than 300 bird species, including 60 rare and 14 endemic species.
This wetland also provides essential ecosystem services to surrounding communities, including freshwater supply, and supports local livelihoods through fisheries and river safari tourism.
“Immediately after Hurricane Melissa, we had about 90% defoliation, so when you first came, everything was brown and appeared dead”, recalls Chanel Raynor, Ecosystems Coordinator at NEPA - an IUCN Member and administrative authority for the Black River Lower Morass. “A lot of birds were displaced, crocodiles were displaced too, because the habitat had taken such a big hit”, Raynor adds.
“The storm surge brought a lot of sand and a lot of debris in the mangrove forest, which ranged from household items to industrial items like equipment, portable containers, boats and even rooftops”, explains Raynor. In February 2026, to commemorate World Wetlands Day, NEPA and the Forestry Department organized a mangrove cleanup in Parottee, engaging private sector partners and community members. “We collected approximately 20 truckloads of garbage, and that did not make a dent in the sheer mass”, Raynor says.
The impacts of Hurricane Melissa were particularly severe for fishing communities, whose livelihoods depend heavily on the resources provided by the wetland. Many fishers lost boats and engines, while the National Fisheries Authority’s local office was completely destroyed, with storage facilities inundated by floodwaters.
Currently, NEPA is conducting detailed assessments of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, validating remotely collected data from drones and satellite imagery through direct, on-site observations. These assessments will help shape the long-term ecological approach for the restoration and rehabilitation of the wetland ecosystem.
“The greening that you see now, compared to what was seen immediately after Melissa, is a testament to the resilience of the forest”, says Raynor.
While signs of natural recovery are already visible, Raynor stresses that active rehabilitation will be needed to restore the full ecological function of the wetland. Fallen and dead trees continue to obstruct hydrological flows within the forest, and relying solely on natural recovery processes could take 10 to 15 years, with no guarantee that additional disturbances will not occur in intervening years.
The slow pace of ecosystem recovery can also make it easier to overlook the loss of its services over time. As the landscape changes, communities may lose sight of what has been lost and what is at stake. This creates new challenges for land management, as previously inaccessible areas may become more vulnerable to encroachment and other pressures.
“It's natural that people would want to rebuild and rebuild stronger, but sometimes rebuilding stronger is disruptive to the environment. We have to find compromises with the human elements, the need for development, the right to housing and safety, and balance that with environmental protection objectives, […] because it is projected that we will have more frequent and stronger storms”, explains Raynor. “Anything that we do must ensure that the people element is prioritized alongside ecological considerations”, she adds.
The Caribbean’s small island states are on the front lines of climate change, facing rising seas, stronger storms and increasing pressures on natural resources. In this context, restoring and protecting ecosystems such as mangroves is essential, as they act as natural coastal barriers while supporting water quality, carbon sequestration and the livelihoods of communities.
In an interview with the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), NEPA’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Environmental Management and Sustainability, Mr. Anthony McKenzie, stated that “the lesson that we’re learning is that it’s important that as we build our natural resilience, we keep these areas healthy and functional so that they are able to bounce back in the event of these [severe weather] systems”6.
The Black River Lower Morass was one of 23 Wetlands of International Importance supported through the Wise Use of Caribbean Wetlands for Climate Change Mitigation and Conservation of their Ecosystem Services project, which came to an end in July 2026. The initiative was funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Government of Germany and implemented by IUCN in close collaboration with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Secretariat, the Caribbean Wetlands Regional Initiative (CariWet), and the Ramsar focal points in each of the eight participating countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Suriname). The project also provided technical support to three additional countries in the region (Bahamas, Barbados and Tridinidad and Tobago). The project aimed at equipping countries with knowledge tools to better manage their wetlands under climate change, integrating the principles of wise use into policy, planning and practice.
Under the initiative, climate vulnerability assessments were carried out across the 23 priority wetlands to evaluate the impacts of climate change and identify adaptation measures to strengthen their resilience. A multi-criteria analysis tool was also developed to assess and categorize national legal and policy frameworks, supporting the preparation of National Action Plans that identify the legal instruments needed to advance the wise use of wetlands at the national level.
The project further strengthened wetland management through the implementation of 12 management effectiveness evaluations using the Ramsar Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (R-METT). In addition, eight wetland monitoring programmes with early warning systems were developed, along with the creation of the foundation for improving existing and future Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plans for each of the participating countries.
These technical outputs were complemented by comprehensive capacity development actions, which reached a total of 564 participants. They were further supported by the development of a cross-cutting capacity-building initiative to be implemented in each country as a legacy programme upon completion of the project.
“This project helped us to build capacities of the government sector, as well as the NGOs’ and local communities’ which have a role to play in wetlands management. It helped us to streamline methodology, to look at climate risk and vulnerability, and to assess the ecological status of our wetlands, which is an ongoing requirement as a contracting party to the Convention on Wetlands”, stated Monique Curtis, Manager of the Ecosystems Management Branch at NEPA, and National Focal Point for the Convention on Wetlands in Jamaica. “Now we are looking to what is next for the region. The vulnerabilities are there, they are increasing in certain spaces, so it is really for us to now use the tools provided by the project to move towards tangible in-field activities”, she adds.
“What I found enlightening about this project was the power of collaboration, the very fact that these 10 islands collaborated together, talking with each other, sharing insights. […] It has been incredible listening to the Ministers really confirm that this Convention matters to them, these wetlands matter for their people, matter for the social fabric, they matter for their economies, but they also matter for their environment”, stats Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands.
To know more about the project’s results, explore this story map: Wise Use of Caribbean Wetlands for Climate Change Mitigation
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