Climate change is a persistent major underlying risk in the Pacific, according to the latest World Bank Pacific Economic Outlook update.
“Nine Pacific countries are categorized as disaster-prone with a high probability of disasters occurring every year,” the report said,
It noted that the most recent disaster in the region was the twin cyclones that hit Vanuatu in early March 2023.
The cost of natural disasters, when they do occur, has been around 60 percent of GDP in Vanuatu, indicating their high toll on livelihoods. The Pacific atoll nations—Kiribati, RMI, and Tuvalu—also face considerable risk from climate variability and sea-level rise.
It said that because climate change becomes a main adverse risk to Pacific countries, economic migration can an opportunity to maintain and improve potential income and is likely to increase.
“Resettlement of populations within and across Pacific countries in response to natural disasters and sea level rise is also likely to intensify. For instance, the Tongan government has been resettling people displaced by the 2021 HT-HH volcanic eruption and resulting tsunami.