Small island states are among the most vulnerable countries to climate change. They face the collapse of their coastal ecosystems and economies due to rising sea level and extreme weather events, warned a UN science report released in March. Another report by the UN Environment Program shows their growing vulnerability will cost trillions of dollars per year.
This is why, at the UN climate talks, the small island states, including countries like the Seychelles, Marshall Islands and Kiribati, are calling for a loss and damage mechanism that is separate from adaptation.