The reparations movement has emerged as a critical global force addressing the historical injustices of slavery, colonialism and underdevelopment. Grounded in the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, the movement has gained momentum through regional bodies like the Caribbean Community Reparations Commission (CRC). This article examines the intersection of colonialism, enslavement and contemporary challenges related to health and the environment—highlighting the Caribbean as a focal point for reparatory and environmental justice. It underscores how legacies of depredation, including structural underdevelopment and path-dependent health inequities, exacerbate the region’s vulnerability to climate change and its impacts, such as severe hurricanes and rising sea levels. The CRC’s Ten-Point Action Plan offers a comprehensive reparations strategy, encompassing formal apologies, debt cancellation, cultural preservation and public health investment. We advocate for reparative and decolonial approaches to rectify historical wrongs while addressing present and future ecological crises.
Beckles et al. (2026) studied this question.