Saint Kitts & Nevis: Country Profile (as of May 2022)

SOCIOECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

Saint Kitts and Nevis is a small two-island country that enjoys one of the highest GDP per capita in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, almost 1 in 5 people on the island lives in poverty as per the last governmental socio-economic survey. The country´s tourism-dependent economy is highly exposed to external shocks, disasters and global economic cycles. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy was severely impacted by the measures implemented by the Government to control the spread of the virus. As the main goal was to save lives, the country has reported no death associated with the virus and the lowest number of cases per capita in the Western Hemisphere. However, a complete halt in cruise ship arrivals, a marked reduction in the number of tourist stayovers and disruptions in domestic activity led the GDP per capita to drop 14.32 per cent from 2019 to 2021.

KEY ISSUES

CLIMATE VULNERABILITY

WATER SCARCITY

Drought has been identified as a critical hazard for Saint Kitts and Nevis. Almost half of the island receives less than 50 inches of rainfall per year, with most areas affected by drought located in the south-east portion of the island, particularly in the Charleston and the Butlers Manning water zones. Extended periods of drought are felt mostly between February-April every year.

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS

The increase in the frequency and severity of climate hazards across the Eastern Caribbean has caused severe infrastructure damage in Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as a major cause of economic loss, population displacement and hindered development. Heavy rainfall is responsible for localized flooding, resulting in the overflowing of Ghauts River coupled with water retention in some sections of the Basseterre region. Additionally, the proximity to the coast of the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis and sea level rise further exposes the population to the impacts of global climate change.