The economic impact of climate change and adaptation in the Outermost Regions : Executive summary

The Outermost Regions are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, due to a number of their shared characteristics: - Concentration of population, activity and infrastructure along coastal zones, areas which will be at risk from sea level rise and coastal flooding; - Dependence on water resources which are highly sensitive to changes in sea level (drought and risk of saltwater intrusion linked to changes in annual rainfall patterns); - High sensitivity to extreme weather events (drought, flooding, hurricanes, cyclones); and - A rich biodiversity and high concentration of endemic species, which may be threatened by changes in rainfall and temperature, but also by the introduction or increase of pests and invasive species. The Commission, recognising the climate change vulnerability of the OR, commissioned this report to examine the economic impact of climate change and adaptation in the OR