For the first time, France has compiled in a single report the main observed impacts of climate change on health, ecosystems, water, agriculture, infrastructure, and the economy. Rising temperatures, persistent drought, a vulnerable agricultural sector, and coral reefs under pressure: the first annual assessment of the impacts of climate change in France contains several findings directly related to Martinique.
Observations from 2025 confirm that these effects are already measurable across the country. Published in July 2026 by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and prepared by the Directorate General for Energy and Climate, this report compiles the observed impacts on health, water, ecosystems, agriculture, and the economy. Intended to be updated annually, it enables, in particular, closer monitoring of the situation in Martinique, which is characterized by heat, water shortages, and the degradation of marine environments.
In 2025, a Warmer Martinique
Martinique experienced a warmer-than-normal year. Its average temperature in 2025 was 0.8 °C above the average for the 1991–2020 period.
This annual variation was accompanied by more extreme episodes. In August, two successive heat waves hit the island.
Temperatures peaked at 37 °C, or 4.2 °C higher than the monthly average. According to the data included in the report, such a level had never before been reached in Martinique during the month of August.
These values provide an overview of the conditions that are expected to become more frequent. The climate scenario used for adaptation projects a warming of approximately 1.9 °C by 2050 and 2.7 °C by 2100 compared to the preindustrial era.
Although the overseas territories are warming more slowly than mainland France, the report notes that the average temperatures observed in 2025 are expected to be consistently exceeded starting in the middle of the century.
A Persistent Drought Despite the Lifting of Restrictions
The heat was not the only concern noted during the year. Martinique also experienced a drought severe enough to lead to water use restrictions imposed at the «alert» between the April 23 and June 3, 2025.
The lifting of these measures did not mark the end of the episode. According to the assessment, drought conditions persisted from June through September. The strain on water resources thus lasted several months, affecting both natural environments and human activities.
The report specifically mentions Significant agricultural losses in several sectors: fruit growing, bananas for export, sugarcane, beekeeping, and pastures used for livestock. However, no total amount has been proposed to assess these damages.
Projections reinforce this concern. By 2100, periods without rain could reach an average of 21 to 22 consecutive days in Martinique, compared with 14 to 15 days during the 1991–2020 period. In certain coastal areas and in the southern part of the island, they could locally exceed 30 days.
Beyond occasional supply difficulties, this trend raises the question of how water should be allocated among domestic needs, agriculture, economic activities, and ecosystems.
Severely Degraded Coral Reefs
The changes observed are not limited to the terrestrial environment. Rising ocean temperatures and marine heatwaves have also affected the coral reefs of the Caribbean.
The report notes a decrease of 61 % between 2022 and 2025 in Martinique, compared to 55 % in Guadeloupe and 40 % in Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy. However, this data must be interpreted in light of the scope of the reefs and monitoring stations covered by the indicator: it does not mean that 61 % of all Martinique’s reefs have permanently disappeared.
The marine heatwaves of 2023 and 2024 contributed to coral bleaching and mortality.
When exposed to high temperatures for too long, they expel the microalgae with which they live in symbiosis. They then lose their color and become more vulnerable, even though a recovery is sometimes still possible when conditions improve.
Reef degradation goes beyond the issue of biodiversity alone. These ecosystems serve as habitats and breeding grounds for many species. They also help protect the coastline from waves and support a variety of activities, including fishing, aquaculture, scuba diving, and tourism.
Adaptation is becoming an immediate challenge
In Martinique, the findings compiled in this initial assessment reveal several concrete priorities:
- better protect water resources; ;
- adapt agricultural production; ;
- monitor the health impacts of heat waves; ;
- strengthen the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems.
The report is not a detailed assessment of the policies already implemented on the island. However, it provides a national database designed to measure year-over-year changes and guide public policy. This monitoring should support the implementation of the third National Climate Change Adaptation Plan.
For Martinique, the 2025 indicators confirm that the effects of climate change are no longer merely long-term projections. They are already affecting temperatures, water, agriculture, and coral reefs.
Updating them annually will make it possible to monitor changes in these pressures and identify the region’s adaptation needs.
You can view it here the first annual report on the impacts of climate change published by the Ministry of Ecological Transition
