Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador for Climate Change, Ruleta Camacho-Thomas, was among the featured speakers at a high-level event on Climate Mobility and Loss and Damage during the ongoing COP30 Conference in Belém, Brazil.

The event brought critical attention to how climate-induced displacement is reshaping the Caribbean and creating deep, lasting forms of loss and damage for vulnerable communities. Ambassador Camacho-Thomas emphasized that villages and communities across the region are far more than physical spaces—they represent identity, livelihoods, tradition, and the cultural roots that sustain Caribbean societies.

“When climate impacts force people to move, the effects reach far beyond relocation — disrupting mental well-being, breaking community networks, and threatening cultural memory,” Ambassador Camacho-Thomas stated.

She reflected on Antigua and Barbuda’s experience after Hurricane Irma, and the hardship now faced by Jamaica in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, as powerful reminders of how swiftly a storm can fracture the social fabric of entire populations.

The Ambassador reiterated that when adaptation fails and climate impacts overwhelm national capacity, countries must be able to access the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. This support, she noted, is essential to help ease the human, economic, and cultural burdens created by displacement.

“Climate mobility is not a future risk — it is already reshaping Caribbean life,” she added. “Protecting people, culture, and dignity must remain at the center of our collective response.”

Ambassador Camacho-Thomas’s participation underscores Antigua and Barbuda’s leadership in global climate advocacy, as the nation continues to champion climate justice, equity, and resilience for small island developing states across international platforms.