Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are unified in equatorial resilience against climate change, according to Minister of the Environment Earl Deveaux, and The Bahamas remains committed to environment-friendly practices.

The Minister made the comments whilst addressing an audience at the College of The Bahamas (COB) Performing Arts Centre, which included representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) last month.

Minister Deveaux explained how the marine environment and integrated ecosystems are experiencing their own natural destruction as the nation’s coral reefs are showing signs of bleaching and dying under the intense pressure of rising global temperatures.

“Climate change is already affecting and will continue to impact our coral reefs and integrated ecosystems,” said Deveaux.

“The Bahamas is fortunate in one sense that we are bordered on one side by deep Atlantic Ocean. But, the Great Bahama Bank and Little Bahama Bank, which provides for most of our fisheries, would be the most likely threatened environments of the increasing of sea water temperature.”

Deveaux said that The Bahamas must continue to host “appropriate development,” supported by the 2010 Planning and Subdivision Act which came into law January 1, 2011.

“Our government has passed the comprehensive Physical Planning Act and Forestry Act and one I’ve listed is the Bahamas National Trust Act. These three pieces of legislation together are intended to inform individual decisions, policy decisions, and regional decisions in respect to how we order development in our country,” he added.