State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Caribbean

  • Thalia Balkaran: Working to Protect Children in the Caribbean From Disasters

    Thalia Balkaran: Working to Protect Children in the Caribbean From Disasters

    Balkaran is helping communities in the Caribbean to develop disaster preparedness plans that focus on some of their most vulnerable residents: children.

  • Photo Essay: How High Could Seas Rise?

    Photo Essay: How High Could Seas Rise?

    Columbia scientists recently visited the Caribbean island of Barbados, whose fossilized coral reefs contain an exquisite record of how the ocean has risen and fallen in the past.

  • How High Can Seas Rise? On a Tropical Isle, the Answers Are Not Always Obvious.

    How High Can Seas Rise? On a Tropical Isle, the Answers Are Not Always Obvious.

    To help predict the future of sea level rise, scientists are studying ancient corals on the island of Barbados.

  • An Interactive Map of Scientific Fieldwork

    An Interactive Map of Scientific Fieldwork

    Earth Institute scientists explore how the physical world works on every continent — over and under the arctic ice, in the grasslands of Mongolia, on volcanoes in Patagonia, over subduction zones in Papua New Guinea, and on the streets of New York City.

  • The Caribbean’s Growing Disaster Hotspots

    The Caribbean’s Growing Disaster Hotspots

    The 125 million people of the Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico region are highly exposed to hurricanes, floods and landslides–and it is not only because of bad weather. Increasing numbers of the poor are crowding into confined areas that are most prone to destruction–low-lying flood plains, too-steep hillsides, and the like. Robert Chen, director of the Center for International Earth…

  • An Active Hurricane Season Predicted

    The IRI’s latest forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season, which started June 1, points to significantly increased hurricane activity this year. In fact, the likelihood of having an above-normal year is more than three times that of having a below-normal year. This could spell trouble for highly vulnerable Caribbean nations such as Haiti – still…

Collage of Turkiye beach scene and Columbia University Campus with text: UN Climate Change Conference COP31, Antalya, Turkiye, Nov 9-20, 2026

COP31, the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, aims to advance dialogue, strengthen consensus, and accelerate climate action on a global scale. From November 9–20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, heads of state, ministers, scientists, business leaders, and civil society will gather to advance efforts in emission targets, climate finance, and adaptation and resilience. Once again, our experts, students, and global thought leaders from Columbia Climate School and across Columbia University are contributing to key events, sharing insights, and helping shape the dialogue toward ambitious, science-based solutions. Learn More

  • Thalia Balkaran: Working to Protect Children in the Caribbean From Disasters

    Thalia Balkaran: Working to Protect Children in the Caribbean From Disasters

    Balkaran is helping communities in the Caribbean to develop disaster preparedness plans that focus on some of their most vulnerable residents: children.

  • Photo Essay: How High Could Seas Rise?

    Photo Essay: How High Could Seas Rise?

    Columbia scientists recently visited the Caribbean island of Barbados, whose fossilized coral reefs contain an exquisite record of how the ocean has risen and fallen in the past.

  • How High Can Seas Rise? On a Tropical Isle, the Answers Are Not Always Obvious.

    How High Can Seas Rise? On a Tropical Isle, the Answers Are Not Always Obvious.

    To help predict the future of sea level rise, scientists are studying ancient corals on the island of Barbados.

  • An Interactive Map of Scientific Fieldwork

    An Interactive Map of Scientific Fieldwork

    Earth Institute scientists explore how the physical world works on every continent — over and under the arctic ice, in the grasslands of Mongolia, on volcanoes in Patagonia, over subduction zones in Papua New Guinea, and on the streets of New York City.

  • The Caribbean’s Growing Disaster Hotspots

    The Caribbean’s Growing Disaster Hotspots

    The 125 million people of the Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico region are highly exposed to hurricanes, floods and landslides–and it is not only because of bad weather. Increasing numbers of the poor are crowding into confined areas that are most prone to destruction–low-lying flood plains, too-steep hillsides, and the like. Robert Chen, director of the Center for International Earth…

  • An Active Hurricane Season Predicted

    The IRI’s latest forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season, which started June 1, points to significantly increased hurricane activity this year. In fact, the likelihood of having an above-normal year is more than three times that of having a below-normal year. This could spell trouble for highly vulnerable Caribbean nations such as Haiti – still…