Antigua and Barbuda is a small country consisting of two major islands surrounded by an archipelago of islets located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. 80 percent of the country’s GDP is derived from the tourism industry, increasing the importance of ecotourism as the effects of climate change place new stressors on local habitats. Aside from the danger posed by the annual hurricane season, Antigua and Barbuda faces unique environmental challenges due to its modest size and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Growing weather pattern variability, rising sea levels, erosion of coastal lands, and the encroachment of saline water into freshwater aquifers all threaten the country’s ecosystems and biodiversity.
