FAQ

The atlas contains a map viewer, map explanations, stories, statistics about the climate of St. Martin, and climate impacts. In the map viewer, you immediately see all the maps that are available. The map explanations explain the maps in the viewer and help you use them. The stories let you experience what climate change means forthe people of St. Martin and why it is important to prepare the island for the possible-to-likely implications and impacts of climate change, especially those most vulnerable.

The viewer provides different maps that show how climate change may affect your area, such as through flooding or heat. It also provides useful background information to help you understand the risks and explore ways to prevent or adapt to the impacts. For example, it shows the locations of coral reefs, priority buildings, and past hurricane paths. This helps you learn more about your surroundings and what actions can be taken to adjust. You can explore specific areas by zooming in or using the search bar.

Did you select one or more map layers in the left-hand box? Then click on “View map layers” in the upper right-hand corner. A box will pop up enabling you to select a climate scenario. You can compare the current climate with four scenarios: the “Low” scenario, featuring a limited change in climate, and the “High” scenario, in which the climate changes significantly for 2050 and for 2100. The grey fields underneath each map layer indicate the scenarios available for that specific map. Don’tyousee a map while you have clicked on it?Most likely that map is not available for the scenario you have selected. Try selecting the current climate or another scenario.

The map explanations provide background information for the maps that are shown in the map viewer. They tell you what you see on the maps and help you to get to work with the information. The atlas comprises different map explanations, such as “Coral reefs”, “Land surface temperature”,and “Future coastlines”. To access the map explanations, click on the tab in the menu bar. Also, you can click on the “more information” button beneath the legend on the right side of the screen to go the map explanations.

The stories were written by Rochelle Ward. They are based on the extreme effects of climate change experienced on the island and engraved in the collective memory of the islanders, and are grounded in the scientific evidence available on the atlas.  

For the climate scenarios, the KNMI'23 climate scenarios of Saba and St. Eustatius were used. The scenarios represent the range within which climate change is likely to develop. Due to the coarseness of the models, the values for Saba and St. Eustatius do give a relevant approximation for St. Martin. However, the ongoing IPDC Climate Scenarios project is working on updating and refining these scenarios for St. Martin. These scenarios will downscale climate models based on local observations. Once these results are available, the statistics will be updated accordingly.

The GIS files can be retrieved via the form provided under the “Download Data” tab. Most map layers contain open data and will be provided as Geopackage/Geotiff. This is free of charge. A few map layers are not open data, in which case the helpdesk will provide any further information that is available.  
Are you using data from the St. Martin Climate Impact Atlas? This data is covered by the Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0). This means that its source must be credited by quoting “St. Martin Climate Impact Atlas, 2025”. In addition, we suggest referring to the underlying data source. To find out which organization has developed the map, see the source beneath the legend.

The St. Martin Climate Impact Atlas is an open platform: the information is public. Consequently, the data from the atlas can be used free of charge. In the map viewer, the data can be downloaded in PDF format, free of charge. The helpdesk can provide you with the data in GIS format, also free of charge. All this data is covered by the Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0). This means that its source must be credited by quoting “St. Martin Climate Impact Atlas, 2025”. In addition, we suggest referring to the underlying data source. To find out which organization has developed the map, see the source beneath the legend.

The spatial resolution differs per map layer. The maps in the atlas provide an island-level picture. If you zoom in, the image can be coarse and indicative, depending on the resolution. Click on the “More information” button in each map layer if you want to know more about a map. 

From 2024 the Climate Impact Atlas was developed jointly with VROMI, USM and the CAS Foundation, with funding from the International Panel on Deltas, Coasts, and Islands (IPDC). For more information, go to “About us”.

The map explanations have been created by the institutes that have developed the maps, in collaboration with VROMI and the CAS foundation.