Caribbean tops climate change hit list.

International Business Times readies the citizens of balmy island paradises for a rough ride, thanks to a World Bank report putting Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on the top of list of cities at risk from climate change:

The World Bank published a study on Thursday that listed Santo Domingo in the top five of cities that will experience serious climate-change damage by 2050. The other four are Alexandria (Egypt), Barranquilla (Colombia), Napoli (Italy) and Sapporo (Japan).

The Caribbean coast is home to 70 percent of the population of the region. Most big cities there, including other capitals like Port-au-Prince and Havana, are within two miles of a sea shore. Flooding and erosion caused by salt water are two of the main consequences mentioned in the study.

The Dominican Republic is aware of the situation and has started taking measures to fight it, but there is still plenty of work to do. According to Jerry Meier, climate change expert for the World Bank, the country continues to carry out construction projects in dangerous zones. “There is a lack of knowledge about the floodplains and there are no exclusion zones, so the situation will stay the same,” Meier warned.