Dutch Govt. places Dutch Caribbean at center of new Climate Adaptation Strategy

THE HAGUE--The Council of Ministers has adopted the draft National Climate Adaptation Strategy 2026, marking the first time the consequences of climate change in the Dutch Caribbean are given specific attention in the national strategy.

The draft strategy outlines how the Dutch government intends to strengthen climate resilience across the Kingdom, with a clear distinction between the challenges facing the European Netherlands and those facing the Caribbean Netherlands, namely Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius. The strategy also notes that similar climate risks are relevant for Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten.

For the Dutch Caribbean, the report identifies rising temperatures, stronger winds, sea level rise, reduced rainfall, ocean acidification and a higher risk of the most powerful hurricanes as the main climate threats. These risks are already affecting the islands and are expected to place increasing strain on water systems, public health, infrastructure, housing, tourism, fisheries, food security, nature, cultural heritage and coastal communities.

Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Vincent Karremans, in a letter to the House of Representatives, said the Caribbean Netherlands faces sharper and changing climate challenges.

“The Dutch Caribbean is more often faced with higher temperatures, higher wind speeds, sea level rise and hurricanes of the heaviest category. The challenges are increasing sharply and the task is changing,” Karremans said. “Today we indicate how we can keep the Netherlands safe and resilient. In the long term, clear choices are needed, so it is important that those measures are decided in time.”

The draft strategy identifies 14 sectoral adaptation priorities for the Dutch Caribbean. These include water infrastructure, seawater quality, water safety, flooding, health and heat, cultural heritage, erosion, nature including coral reefs, food security, fisheries, homes and buildings, public space, tourism and infrastructure.

According to the strategy, climate change can have major physical, social and economic consequences for the Dutch Caribbean. The report notes that agriculture on Bonaire may face increasing pressure from drought, while infrastructure on Saba and St. Eustatius could be affected more often by the strongest categories of hurricanes. Low-lying coastal areas are also expected to face growing impacts from sea level rise, while more intense rainfall may lead to greater flooding and erosion.

The strategy places special emphasis on the vulnerability of ecosystems such as coral reefs, as well as cultural heritage sites. Damage to these natural and cultural assets would also have consequences for key economic sectors, including tourism and fisheries.

The government’s approach for the Dutch Caribbean is built around both sectoral and broader priorities. These include climate-resilient spatial planning, a society better prepared for climate change, stronger governance for climate adaptation and the need to make adaptation financially achievable.

The strategy also states that the Dutch government will work to improve insight into climate risks, support the public entities in developing frameworks for vulnerable areas, explore a climate adaptation knowledge agenda for the Caribbean Netherlands and strengthen cooperation with water authorities, experts and regional partners.

Food security is also identified as a priority. The government intends to examine how food availability on the islands can be strengthened and how vulnerable supply lines may be affected by climate risks. In tourism and fisheries, the strategy points to the importance of more sustainable models that are less vulnerable to climate change and place less pressure on natural systems.

Critical infrastructure is another major focus. The report identifies airports, ports, energy systems, telecom, waste systems and other vital infrastructure as areas that must become more resilient to extreme weather. The government says climate risks should be made more visible and included in investment planning and service continuity plans.

The draft strategy also recognizes the financial scale of the challenge. It states that the cost of doing nothing is significant, citing estimated hurricane-related damage through 2050 of $48.6 million for Bonaire, $121.2 million for St. Eustatius and $84.3 million for Saba.

As part of its long-term goal, the Dutch government wants to determine what is needed to ensure that, by 2030, national government investments in the Dutch Caribbean take climate change into account. This includes investments in infrastructure and government real estate. The strategy also notes that similar questions may be explored in some cases for Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten.

The draft National Climate Adaptation Strategy looks ahead to 2100 and uses adaptation pathways to show which policy options may be needed in the short, medium and long term. The government says the strategy is intended to provide a more concrete and broader approach to keeping both the European and Caribbean parts of the Netherlands climate-resilient.

The draft strategy will be available for review from June 9 to July 20 in both the European and the Dutch Caribbean. During this period, residents, institutions, public bodies and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to respond. Based on the responses, the government intends to present the final National Climate Adaptation Strategy 2026 and a new National Climate Adaptation Implementation Program at the end of the year.

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