Increasingly ferocious storms, and severe droughts are among the effects of climate change.
In the Caribbean, a hurricane can wipe out a third of a country's GDP overnight.
At the climate conference in Egypt, the Alliance of Small Island States is trying to convince big polluters and the richest countries to cough up the billions of dollars they've already promised - and to commit trillions more as the onslaught worsens.
The Alliance's lead negotiator Ambassador Conrod Hunte from Antigua and Barbuda spoke to Jimmy Ellingham about the need for swift and meaningful resolution on talks of finance for loss and damage.
