Future of the Sea, Final Report; Overseas Territories

Future of the Sea, A Foresight Report from the Government Chief Scientific Adviser

"From Captain Cook, to Turner and the Royal Navy, the sea is embedded in our culture and history, but what will it mean for the UK to be successful maritime nation in the 21st century, and beyond? That is the key question that this report seeks to answer".

"The UK Overseas Territories are primarily islands or groups of islands and, as such, their inhabitants are particularly vulnerable to the effects of marine climate change. There is no evidence that the 2017 Atlantic hurricanes, which caused significant damage to Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, and the British Virgin Islands, were caused by anthropogenic climate change. However, their impact does demonstrate the vulnerability that some Overseas Territories have compared to mainland UK. Given the growing risk that this report identifies to human health and economic activity, it is important that measures are taken to ensure all the Overseas Territories have the necessary measures in place to ensure their ongoing resilience to climate change".

Discussion: UK Overseas Territories

"The UK has specific constitutional and legal responsibility for 14 Overseas Territories (OTs) including ensuring their security and good governance. With the exception of Antarctica, they are all islands or groups of islands. They are extremely diverse, including wealthy communities in Bermuda and the world’s most remote population on Tristan da Cunha. There is less evidence on some of the OTs than there is for the mainland UK. Where possible, this report considers the OTs in our overall analysis of the UK (and makes clear where they differ)".