Seventeen percent of the island of San Andres, one of Colombia’s most
popular holiday destinations, will disappear because of climate change
and rising waters of the Caribbean, the Colombian government says.
The government expects water in the Caribbean to see a 20 to 24 inch rise, resulting in the loss of beaches crucial for the tourism industry of San Andres and coastal cities like Santa Marta and Cartagena.
72 municipalities on both the Caribbean as the Pacific coast will be endangered by rising waters if global warming continues,vice-President Francisco Santos said Sunday. Large parts of Colombia’s 3000 miles of coast will be constantly flooded in high tides, Santos added.
The vice-President urges the country’s main ports in the Caribbean and Pacific to take urgent measures including the complete moving of large parts of the industries close to the ports.