Snapshot Tobago

7 July 2025

Photo: B. Ratter

"God is a Trini" is a saying here in Trinidad and Tobago, and it must be true. Because Trinidad has never suffered a hurricane in living memory. Even the terrible tropical cyclone Flora, which hit Roxborough on Tobago hard in 1963, passed Trinidad by. Despite coral bleaching, eroded beaches in some areas, and unusual sediment buildup elsewhere, despite changing rainfall patterns—the biggest issue, if it´s discussed at all, is the massive sargassum deposits—brown seaweed, that piles up meters high on the beaches. Climate change is hardly an issue here, neither in government policy nor among the residents. "Tobago does not have a climate change problem; it is talked about by the politicians," a fisherman tells me in conversation. But people are open to share their experiences and to learn from one another. Resilience grows through connection.

Sargassum threatens Tobago ´s tourism and economy