Rainfall is the sole source of freshwater in the Bahamas as rivers, lakes and other surface freshwater resources are absent. Freshwater scarcity is exacerbated by low rainfall and periods of drought which are common in the south-eastern islands. Access to freshwater on many of the cays is limited to a few reverse osmosis facilities, rainwater harvesting, and shipping water from the Great Abaco Island. Freshwater is also tapped from government- and privately-owned wells. Even in wetter areas such as New Providence and Grand Bahama, potable water has to be shipped from Andros Island and is supplemented by desalination plants to meet the high demands of tourists and residents. In combination with over-extraction of groundwater to meet the demands of growing residential and tourist populations, an overall decrease in precipitation and increased risk of drought, especially in the southern islands, will compromise the freshwater supplies of the Bahamas. Additionally, more than 90% of the freshwater lenses rest within 1.5m of the land surface which introduces the risk of saltwater contamination from storm surge and sea level rise. Storm surges from past hurricanes have already caused extensive damage to aquifers in the Bahamas, with contamination from seawater (saline intrusion), sewage, pesticides and petroleum products. In addition to the water reserves, water-related infrastructure such as wells and reverse osmosis facilities are at risk from destruction in extreme events. 

This section provides insights into projected climate change impacts on various hydrological indicators.