British Virgin Islands Environment - 2024

Environment - current issues

limited natural freshwater resources except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola; most of the islands' water supply comes from desalination plants; sewage and mining/industry waste contribute to water pollution, threatening coral reefs

Climate

subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Land use

agricultural land: 46.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 6.7% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 6.7% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 33.3% (2018 est.)

forest: 24.3% (2018 est.)

other: 29% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 49.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.21 megatons (2016 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 21,099 tons (2000 est.)