Climate Change Implications on Small Island Developing States (SIDS): a Socioeconomic Perspective from the Kingdom of Bahrain

This paper discusses the Climate Change impact on the Kingdom of Bahrain; and highlights the role of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on a local and global level to alleviate climate change through risk mitigation measures including the decrease of greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation. Also, explores the challenges of sea-level rise as faced by SIDS. The research is theoretical based in nature, it uses secondary data sources from internationally accredited institutions such as the World Bank, the UN, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The findings portray the overlap and interconnectedness of impacts of climate change for SIDS, where the warming of the seas leads to inundation of wetlands and low elevation coastal zones, salinization of freshwater resources and both combined lead to negative socioeconomic consequences. Thus, minimize the consequences of climate change and Sea Level Rise collective mitigation and adaptation responses need to be informed by vulnerability assessments, climate risk management and cost benefit analyses when being adopted to local policies. Financing of adaptation and mitigation measures for SIDS are discussed, where the importance of international aid and financing through funds. The research highlights the need to further investigate the comparisons and linkages between general environmental concerns and socioeconomic factors and solutions of SIDS with focus on Kingdom of Bahrain.