As the Caribbean prepares for what forecasters warn could be one of its most active hurricane seasons on record, the region simultaneously faces unprecedented invasions of sargassum seaweed, dual challenges that threaten to undermine its crucial tourism recovery.
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, predicted to produce 17-25 named storms, comes fresh on the heels of Hurricane Beryl's catastrophic early June passage through Grenada and St. Vincent.
That storm, the earliest Category four ever recorded, served as a sobering reminder of climate vulnerabilities during the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Jamaica earlier this month.
"Preparing before a storm, and for speedy recovery after a storm, putting those plans in place is critically important," said St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew.
His sentiment reflects growing urgency across the region, where tourism contributes over half of GDP for many nations currently enjoying record visitor numbers.
Compounding the hurricane threat, scientists are tracking a 24-million-ton sargassum mass spreading across the Caribbean Sea -- the largest June volume ever recorded.
At the recent CARICOM meeting, Secretary General Carla Barnett framed these climate challenges through the conference theme of "People, Partnerships, Prosperity," stressing that regional cooperation offers the only viable path to sustainable tourism. Current initiatives include upgraded early warning systems, experimental seaweed harvesting programs, and climate-resilient infrastructure designs, all racing against the calendar as peak storm season approaches.
Caribbean faces dual climate threats as tourism sector seeks resilience
