The Government of the United Kingdom in the upcoming years will provide Dominica with £65 million to assist the country in becoming the first climate resilient nation in the world.
Head of the Department for International Development (DFID) Colleen Wainright, made the disclosure at the official launch of the Climate Resilience Executing Agency of Dominica (CREAD) on Friday.
“In 2015 Tropical Storm Erika caused damage equivalent to around 90% of Dominica’s annual Gross Domestic Product and only two years later with Hurricane Maria. We have seen that figure rise to over 200%,” Wainright said.
She said that with the frequency and intensity of hurricanes only like to increase, Dominica has recognized that it must build back better and develop infrastructure, insurance and other support systems that have a much stronger chance of surviving future storms and disasters.
Bearing commendations from the UK Government for “the vision and aspiration of the Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit who is determined to make Dominica the first climate resilient country in the world,” Wainright announced how the money will be allocated.
“We have recently announced £25 million of new funding to rebuild and strengthen the water system across the island so in the event of a future hurricane the supply of drinking water will either continue or can be quickly reestablished.”
She noted that £25 million will also go towards rehabilitating the road from Loubiere to Bagatelle which was essentially destroyed during the hurricane.
“We will strengthen key health facilities across the island so they can better withstand hurricanes and be able to provide essential medical support in the aftermath of a natural disaster,” she said.
The DFID official said that the funds will also help to create jobs and boost the employment skills and prospects of young Dominican people.
If I was all you I would not already start planning with that money promised by the UK. Depending what kind of Brexit deal the EU will give the UK there is a definite possibility that all the millions from the UK will stop flowing. They will need every £ for their own purposes.
Dominica needs the money, but what e need more is to make sure that it is used wisely. We have to stop just giving out money. we have to stop hiring half cocked contractors to do nonsense for the county. If you building a road we want proper sidewalks and guttering and lighting. If you doing waste management we need a recycling plant and more garbage trucks etc. we need to ensure that funds are not stolen or mismanaged. It is time to move the country forward. Some of you will give the usual dominican response about what am i doing or why i dont do this or that? but that is ignorance. I am not a politician or in government. what you need to ask is why isnt the government doing this or that? We are still suffering from TS Erica much less for Hurricane Maria. when will we make sustainable progress? we put a coffee plant, it is yet to be used. Abattoir? not operational, Moroccan hotel? white elephant. Talk of marina in the north? pipe dreams. We need to start producing
Thanks but I not trusting de pm and his gangs set of GREEDY
Ministers they will pocket half and not do much for the country
I well afraid Papa lord watch over Dominica ??
What about this road project that is so different that will prove us to be the first climate resilient nation in the world?
£25 million for a road from loubiere to Grand Bay isn’t much different from the Chinese contribution to our west coast highway….. first in what?????????
After 18 years of a party in office…14 year as PM…. first in what!!!!!!!…….in building roads??????
Help this man……his ego stinks!
Boy Skerrit must be saying “thank God for Maria” because he sure making money. It would just be interesting for donors to really get on the ground to see how their tax payers money is being spent. The man really making it and surely if there is not another Maria type hurricane this year, Skerrit will create a man made hurricane so he could cash in just before the next election. As for me I not sending a capable to Dominica because Skerrit getting enough money to keep him in power for the next 50 years.
No matter how much money u throw at Dominica (just like Haiti) as long as you have bad leaders u will never have development.
Keep Skerro in check with that money..Watch him
Is when I see headlines news so I does laugh UWPwee and their headless chickens eh. If them people thought is a sham, you think they would throw support just so? The people them do all their research, and the result? Encouragement and assistance to the government and people of our sweet country. Take that!
Scott’s Head
I see they start the sea wall to protect the houses on the bay front in the village .
Oh yes $20 million was allocated for that as it going to have a highway with foot path , and another $10 million coming to cut roads with proper drainage in ”SONN” in the heights of Scott’s Head; and i even forget wee, they going to allocate money to implement a solar plant to develop electricity for de village up dere . Bonjai why i forgetting so nah , i forget they building a sports centre where we can play dominoes election week and before anymore by-elections , They even say they going to assist with passion fruit farming up dere, to get people working again , like in L.Rose time nah ,and then we will have a processing plant for de passionfruit like de L. Rose lime factory nah .
Somebody wake me up nah .
Thank you Madame, thank you to your country for all their hard work post Maria. You all have been here from day one and your presence is still felt to this day. The UK has truly been a good friend especially in the past few months, you have shown your highest level of commitment to Dominica. Thank you for your physical and monetary contributions.
The Opposition rants daily, their supporters laugh and ridicule the idea of resiliency, but look here we have a branch of the UK government at our flank, endorsing CREAD. They have showed relentless support and commended ‘the vision and aspiration of PM Skerrit’. £65 million to rehabilitate roads, health centres and create employment and to aid in our geothermal project development. People want to help us, yet our own Dominicans criticize the establishment of the new organization. When will we as a people learn that this is vital and very apt!? This is for our own long term benefit.
i hope they can do a proper job on the roads. Especially in the botanical gardens. and we dont want concrete like the section the pm and his people had made. proper asphalt we want. i will even accept cobble or brick because it will last longer.
The government and in particular the Prime Minister has every bit of support from the agencies and their home countries. The UK, Canada, the US, you name them–are backing us and realize that our aim to become climate resilient is truly attainable. This is why I listen and observe. Look at the support we have to make this dream a reality. If it was a farce these people would never donate so much to help us. Truly commendable work by the PM and his team. I wish CREAD all the best and hope that we do our part in our respective communities to preserve and protect!
The UK funding will certainly assist Dominica’s recovery.
However, rebuilding and strengthening the water system, rehabilitating the road from Loubiere to Bagatelle and strengthening key health facilities, are basic essentials and surely cannot be categorized as “The World’s First…”
Roger you too bright, did you hear it is being built in a resilient manner??? Just be grateful for once and join me and the many positive, patriotic Dominicans in saying a huge THANK YOU GREAT BRITAIN, THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!
Two key words to consider here ”UPCOMING YEARS” .
That could mean 2018 , 3018, 4018 all upcoming years.
Why come and try to Bru bru us right in our own back yard nah ?
As soon as another Government comes into power in the UK everything changes ,
they don’t have to honor promises made by the outgoing Government officials so why come and tell us upcoming years , like we are doon doons ?
And the assistance keeps coming in spite of the jealousy which is supported by certain news media!!
jealousy? the money is for the country. Not for laborites only or uwp. It is to be used to develop our country so we can finally look and feel like a real place of interest and development. the money was given to Dominica. The news media has a right to report this. the people have a right to voice their opinions, especially based on past events. We got money after Erica, but no report was ever given as to how much.
Even way papa knows that money will end up in pockets of the government… Otherwise why put such a comment..
I guess if the kind folks in the UK government didn’t think that the climate resiliency goal was an achievable one, they would not throw their support behind it in such a tangible way. That’s a lot of money! So hats off to our PM for hatching this plan.
Thank you! You took the words from my mouth Fabien. Hats off for a job very well done!
That is not a lot of money. One person in UK can make such a contribution. Preparing for the next storm and saving lives should not be a political issue. When Skerritt and Linton dead and gone climate change will still be a problem. We should be looking out for the future.
Erickson
have you read this over and over again like me ?
I am so concerned about 2 words ”upcoming years”
what do they mean ?
when do they mean ?
this century or next ?
what kind of promise that ?
My advice to the government of the UK, please ensure that the government of Dominica in particular the prime minister can not get their hands on any cash. Otherwise the money is not going to last long nor will it be used for intended purposes. The government of Dominica is corrupt and incompetent!
Show us the proof of incompetence and corruption. You can’t just throw baseless claims out there.
What in your opinion happened to the US$100 million Petro Caribe money?? What in your opinion happened to the minority of passport sale proceeds??
Randy I wonder whether you had given similar advice to Mr Linton when he had presented Dr Fontaine former Treasurer of the DAAS to the Dominican electorate as the “next Minister of Finance in the UWP government” during the 2014 general election campaign!
Guys like RandyX do not seem to get the picture concerning the $100 million Petro caribe money. That was debt not actual physical money. I hope he understands the difference between debt and hard cash.
Thanks to the UK for continuing to support Dominica. Thanks to the Government of Dominica, particularly the PM for not sitting on the lower rear end of their anatomies and running their mouths morning noon and night.
Thanks to all the governments and NGO’s all over the world, even as far away as Russia who looked at people in need above other considerations and came forward. Some Dominicans born in this land still haven’t got it. They still see Skerrit and nothing else.
I really wonder what it is they are asking me to change to. Not even in the worst disaster to ever affect an entire country, can these guys come forward with anything positive which can encourage me to put my confidence in them were they to be at the helm of government if another disaster were to strike.
Barbara
Your comments are respected and justified .
Geo thermal electricity was supposed to be powering Dominica since 2014
we are in 2018 ; now i sure you going to tell me ” had it not been for ERICA and MARIA ———-__________——————————
an so an, ann so ann
It’s Idiots like you who ensure that negativity in Dominica remains ahead. Maria bless you.
And it’s idiots like you that keep on supporting utter incompetence and bold face corruption. Or are you perhaps one of the cabal??
@RandyX ,Pm Skerrit and his Government don’t need your stupid loser idiotic advice because you are not intelligent enough to give anyone else a words of advice, So take your so-called advice and shove it up where the Sun never shines better yet give it to your God Linton he needs it most……
Waiting patiently for the people who will get angry at the donation Dominica receiving just because they didn’t like the p.m
Notamussed
Donation you say ?
you talking like cheque handed out ein ,
An MOU that nah ?
UPCOMING YEARS stipulated .
Fingers crossed for too long can cause disability , bear that in mind .