The OECS Commission, as part of the Reducing Risk to Human and Natural Assets Resulting from Climate Change (RRACC) project, launched a training workshop for instructors of eco-system based disaster risk reduction.
The workshop launched on Monday in Dominica, aims to provide a shared framework and knowledge foundation for ecosystem disaster risk reduction and climate change, and using said knowledge to explore solutions.
President of Brosnan & Associates, Dr. Deborah Brosnan, noted that the Caribbean islands possess strong qualities to help weather the challenges of climate change, which she referred to as “strong and severe.”
“Climate change raises the stakes—there’s no doubt about it… Make no mistake, the challenges ahead of us are strong and severe. But, these islands have two amazing attributes that really make a difference, and are unique,” she stated. “The first is: the Caribbean islands have an inherent resilience. We’re used to dealing with storms, we’re used to dealing with hazards and disasters, and have weathered them for many centuries. And that resilience stands us in good stead moving forward. The second is that he islands are blessed with an extraordinary diversity of ecosystems, that provide services—whether it’s protection against storm surge, as with coral reefs; forests that prevent landslides; and these resources that also provide income, and provide food.”
Dr. Brosnan insisted that disaster risk reduction framework is to be more centred on ecosystems, in order to rebuild and maintain social and economic resilience.
“These ecosystem services play a large role in helping us to build resilience. In 2004, a global study on Coasts at Risk evaluated the different islands and nations around the world, and concluded that those islands where the ecosystems are degraded have a much lower social and economic resilience. They’re much more vulnerable to storms and climate change. Building back our ecosystems makes sense, to build social, and to build economic resilience in the region,” she explained. “And that is our goal… to help us to move in towards a more ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction framework.”
In 2011, the OCES began its first climate change project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), at US$9.5million.
Between 1998 and 2008, the Caribbean region experienced 165 natural disasters, at a cost of $136-billion.
Please inform the nation at which institution this workshop is taking place
All roads should have trucks going round the islands with good sized suitable stone to fill all holes in the roads to make traveling on them bearable! This should be done now before the start of hurricane season. A very sensible beginning. The above article is interesting but the hurricane season is around the corner and nothing, nothing is seen to be done to our roads since Erika. The folks in Delice are very frightened the temporary (Bailey’s) bridge that is there will fall any time soon as it does not seem it was fixed correctly at all! The radio programme’s even on DBS everyone is calling in complaining about the roads. How can the people in Governance be so deaf and so stupid!! Is it because the people in power drive such expensive SUV’s they travel over the holes with no discomfort to their own passage. How can folks in power be so short sighted and selfish!!