Physician, MS Occupational Health
Over the past 20 years, climate change has hit the Caribbean and South America severely. Stronger hurricanes, worse floods, and heavier rainfall have damaged homes, schools, and hospitals, crops and businesses beyond repair, often leaving families desperate, with no choice but to move in order to survive.
In the Caribbean especially, the destruction has been devastating. Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 caused extreme damage to Barbuda, Dominica and Puerto Rico, forcing many to migrate.
In October 2025, Jamaica was struck by Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest storms ever recorded. Winds ripped roofs off while rain and storm surge flooded towns, driving over 25,000 people from their homes. Families crowded into shelters, facing sickness from floodwaters and mosquito bites, while wrestling with profound fear and anxiety after losing everything. Such disasters show how climate change worsens storms, harms health, and forces migration. Thousands of Puerto Ricans moved to the US mainland after Maria, and Jamaicans now face similar pressure as migration often becomes the only way to survive.
South America faces different—but equally serious—problems. In the Amazon, hotter temperatures and deforestation have fuelled wildfires. Smoke from these burning forests has caused breathing problems, pushing Indigenous communities off their land. In the Andes, melting glaciers threaten the water supply for millions.
Floods in Colombia and Peru have destroyed farmland, forcing rural families into crowded cities. When crops fail, children starve, and when homes are lost, families must move. Poor and marginalised groups suffer most because with fewer resources, they struggle to adapt. Rural families leaving the countryside for urban centres are, in some cases, forced to cross borders when disasters overwhelm local capacity. Migration patterns like these, though they keep families alive, create new challenges for recipient governments and communities already struggling to provide basic services.
The link between climate change and migration is clear. When an environment becomes unsafe, people move—however, migration itself creates new health risks. Overcrowded shelters spread disease, migrants frequently lose access to medical services and children’s schooling is disrupted, affecting their future.
Organisations supporting migrants provide help, but they cannot replace strong local health systems or climate policies. Without action, the cycle of disaster, displacement, and poor health will continue to grow. In that respect, T&T is to be commended for introducing a policy to allow non-nationals essential health service access.
Venezuela offers powerful examples of how climate disasters mix with political and economic crises to drive migration. In 1999, heavy rains triggered devastating landslides in Vargas state, destroying entire neighbourhoods and killing approximately 13,000 people. Traumatised, injured survivors lost access to clean water and healthcare, making recovery even harder. More recently, Venezuela has experienced drought and the loss of all its Andean glaciers, seriously affecting hydroelectricity supplies and causing food and water insecurity. This has contributed to one of the largest migration crises in the region. Millions have left for Colombia, Brazil, and nearby Caribbean nations. Political instability and economic collapse have combined with floods, heavy rain, and unreliable electricity for hospitals to worsen the already worrying humanitarian situation. Climate stress has only exacerbated the country’s existing problems, creating a complex crisis that affects health, safety, and human survival.
Though it seems difficult or impossible to make a difference, there are practical steps people can take to reduce risks and protect their health. Staying informed about local climate dangers and preparing emergency kits can save lives. Clean water, safe food, and mental health support are critical after disasters. Communities can help displaced families by showing compassion and pushing for fair access to healthcare and education. Reducing climate impact by saving energy, recycling, and supporting policies that cut carbon emissions helps address the root causes of climate change and joining local groups that work on disaster preparedness, reforestation, or clean energy strengthens resilience. These actions may seem small, but they build stronger communities better able to face the challenges ahead.
Climate change is not just about rising seas or stronger storms. It is about health, migration, and human survival. The Caribbean and South America show how disasters compel people to move, while Venezuela’s Vargas tragedy and recent migration crisis remind us of the heavy cost to us all when climate stress combines with weak infrastructure.
On International Migrants Day, the lesson is clear: protecting health, strengthening communities, and preparing for climate change must go hand in hand with defending the rights and dignity of migrants. The future of the region depends on how we act today, and whether governments, communities, and individuals can connect the dots between climate, health, and migration. Failing to act will bring even greater displacement and suffering in the coming decades, but if we are successful, we can build resilience, hope, and solidarity in the face of one of the greatest challenges of our time.
The foregoing was a weekly column by EarthMedic and EarthNurse NGO to help readers understand and address the climate and health crisis.
