2.2
Climate Disruptions
Climate change undermines people’s right to stay home.
2.2
Climate Disruptions
Climate change undermines people’s right to stay home.
2.2
Climate Disruptions
Climate change undermines people’s right to stay home.
For communities in the Greater Caribbean, “home” is more than a place. “Home” encompasses all the social and spiritual bonds and practices that tie people to their land, to nature, and to one another. It underpins their culture and identity.
For communities in the Greater Caribbean, “home” is more than a place. “Home” encompasses all the social and spiritual bonds and practices that tie people to their land, to nature, and to one another. It underpins their culture and identity.
For communities in the Greater Caribbean, “home” is more than a place. “Home” encompasses all the social and spiritual bonds and practices that tie people to their land, to nature, and to one another. It underpins their culture and identity.
Climate change alters people’s relationship with their environment, causing a deep sense of disruption and dislocation.
Climate change alters people’s relationship with their environment, causing a deep sense of disruption and dislocation.
Climate change alters people’s relationship with their environment, causing a deep sense of disruption and dislocation.
In the Bahamas, hurricanes have led to the destruction of homes, the forced displacement of families and whole communities, and the deterioration of ecosystems. These recurrent losses of “culture, history, dignity and identity” have left people feeling uprooted, even when not displaced.
In Suriname, Indigenous communities experience the degradation and loss of their natural ecosystems as a form of death. For many, home no longer feels like home.
In the Bahamas, hurricanes have led to the destruction of homes, the forced displacement of families and whole communities, and the deterioration of ecosystems. These recurrent losses of “culture, history, dignity and identity” have left people feeling uprooted, even when not displaced.
In Suriname, Indigenous communities experience the degradation and loss of their natural ecosystems as a form of death. For many, home no longer feels like home.
In the Bahamas, hurricanes have led to the destruction of homes, the forced displacement of families and whole communities, and the deterioration of ecosystems. These recurrent losses of “culture, history, dignity and identity” have left people feeling uprooted, even when not displaced.
In Suriname, Indigenous communities experience the degradation and loss of their natural ecosystems as a form of death. For many, home no longer feels like home.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The smokestacks of the cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea. Despite growing climate threats, Grand Bahamians depend on tourism to sustain their economy.
Mclean's Town Cay, Grand Bahama
The crumbling remains of a building are a stark reminder of Hurricane Dorian’s 2019 devastation. The Category 5 storm, the worst in Bahamian history, left lasting physical damage and deeply impacted Grand Bahamian society.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
The abandoned Arawak Hotel looms behind flood-ravaged Caribbean pines. A failed development project, it was left in ruins long before 21st-century hurricanes ushered in a new era of economic and ecological challenges.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
A tattered Bahamian flag flutters beside a tarp-covered school in this fishing village, where many buildings remain too damaged or costly to repair. Five years after the devastation, their owners are left in limbo.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama
Amid the wreckage of a home where a family endured the fury of Hurricane Dorian, a broader dilemma for Bahamians emerges: Stay and rebuild to face worsening storms or leave and lose the place they call home.
Garden of the Groves, Freeport, Grand Bahama
A 50-year-old fig tree in the botanical garden memorializes the lives cut short by Hurricane Dorian. Officially, 70 lives were lost, but hundreds, including many undocumented Haitian migrants, remain missing after the Category 5 storm.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Hurricane Dorian’s two-day storm surge greatly impacted Grand Bahamians and their natural environment, killing off many Caribbean pine trees on the island. Estimates suggest it could take up to 60 years for the forest to fully regrow.
Ol' Freetown Farm, Grand Bahama
Caribbean pine trees grow on George and Sissel Johnson’s property. Traumatized by Hurricane Dorian, they left Grand Bahama. Yet, seeing the land heal, they have returned even though the island is an evacuation zone for future Category 5 storms.
Freeport, Grand Bahama
A cruise ship docks at Freeport. Bahamians have survived multiple hurricanes in the last decades. Could climate change jeopardize tourism as the lifeblood of its economy?
For those who leave the place they call home, the experience can be equally painful. Affected communities in the Bahamas saw how Hurricane Dorian displaced over 9,000 people in 2019. Barbudans recalled how their entire island population fled to Antigua during Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Residents of Santa Lucía, Colombia, described a 2010 flash flood as a “total event” that hollowed out their small village in its entirety. Spaces once vibrant with life were either destroyed or abandoned. Some describe climate-forced migration as a form of “deportation”:
For those who leave the place they call home, the experience can be equally painful. Affected communities in the Bahamas saw how Hurricane Dorian displaced over 9,000 people in 2019. Barbudans recalled how their entire island population fled to Antigua during Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Residents of Santa Lucía, Colombia, described a 2010 flash flood as a “total event” that hollowed out their small village in its entirety. Spaces once vibrant with life were either destroyed or abandoned. Some describe climate-forced migration as a form of “deportation”:
For those who leave the place they call home, the experience can be equally painful. Affected communities in the Bahamas saw how Hurricane Dorian displaced over 9,000 people in 2019. Barbudans recalled how their entire island population fled to Antigua during Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Residents of Santa Lucía, Colombia, described a 2010 flash flood as a “total event” that hollowed out their small village in its entirety. Spaces once vibrant with life were either destroyed or abandoned. Some describe climate-forced migration as a form of “deportation”:
“I call it deportation… Because it doesn't match our art and culture. From here to Paramaribo. And when you get there, you get the chance to emigrate again. To go somewhere else. But there they don't accept you, you're there but you don't belong.”
Focus group participant, Suriname
“I call it deportation… Because it doesn't match our art and culture. From here to Paramaribo. And when you get there, you get the chance to emigrate again. To go somewhere else. But there they don't accept you, you're there but you don't belong.”
Focus group participant, Suriname
“I call it deportation… Because it doesn't match our art and culture. From here to Paramaribo. And when you get there, you get the chance to emigrate again. To go somewhere else. But there they don't accept you, you're there but you don't belong.”
Focus group participant, Suriname
Even moving short distances within one’s home country can be disorienting.
Even moving short distances within one’s home country can be disorienting.
Even moving short distances within one’s home country can be disorienting.
During Hurricane Dorian, people in the Bahamas experienced a “culture shock” when forced to relocate from their small island communities to Grand Bahama or Nassau. As they moved from the countryside to the big city, they struggled to integrate into the new social fabric and local labor market.
While many people have since returned to Santa Lucía, Barbuda, and the smaller islands in The Bahamas, others have been forced to relocate permanently. This uprooting has resulted in community fragmentation and a loss of resilience. When people leave for good, heritage is lost, culture is eroded, and the fabric of communities is imperiled.
During Hurricane Dorian, people in the Bahamas experienced a “culture shock” when forced to relocate from their small island communities to Grand Bahama or Nassau. As they moved from the countryside to the big city, they struggled to integrate into the new social fabric and local labor market.
While many people have since returned to Santa Lucía, Barbuda, and the smaller islands in The Bahamas, others have been forced to relocate permanently. This uprooting has resulted in community fragmentation and a loss of resilience. When people leave for good, heritage is lost, culture is eroded, and the fabric of communities is imperiled.
During Hurricane Dorian, people in the Bahamas experienced a “culture shock” when forced to relocate from their small island communities to Grand Bahama or Nassau. As they moved from the countryside to the big city, they struggled to integrate into the new social fabric and local labor market.
While many people have since returned to Santa Lucía, Barbuda, and the smaller islands in The Bahamas, others have been forced to relocate permanently. This uprooting has resulted in community fragmentation and a loss of resilience. When people leave for good, heritage is lost, culture is eroded, and the fabric of communities is imperiled.
Hear their story
Hear their story
Hear their story
Share
Copy Link
Share
Copy Link
Share
Copy Link
Next up:
Next up:
Next up:
