The Caribbean island of Dominica is one of the world’s most at-risk places from climate change. Can it fulfil plans to become the world’s first climate-resilient nation?
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On a sunny Monday morning in September 2017, 67-year-old Faustulus Frederick was adding the finishing touches to a traditional wooden sculpture at his home in Salybia, on the Caribbean island of Dominica.
The small village of Salybia is one of eight that make up the 3,700-acre (1,500-hectare) Kalinago Territory – the home of Dominica’s indigenous people. At the territory’s highest elevations, lookout points provide sweeping views of the tempestuous Atlantic Ocean thousands of feet below.
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Resilience? It is good to aspire to be the first country, but in my humble opinion, we need less talk and more action. Our water system is very vulnerable, during a rain or a tropical storm. Yet little has been done to address this critical necessity.
I mean from my days as a kid, when hurricane David destroyed Dominica infrastructure, water was out of commission for a long time, especially in the Grand Bay area. We were all making the long journey to the souce.
The Freedom party upgraded the water system. Fast forward almost 35 years later, DAWASCO still apologises for unscheduled interruption of water service every day.
What a disaster of a company, every year they boast about profit margins. Resilience is not talk and more talk , you need action to back it up.
It’s all words, it’s all propaganda, as usual. This CM tries to make up his incompetence with constant talking and lying.
Climate resilience …. my interpretation is ones ability to weather the effects of the environment, aka mother nature. By extension that means hurricanes, high sea levels, etc etc..
How can anyone prepare for what mother nature gonna throw at us.. seems a bit ambitious. But what do I know
PIE IN THE SKY!!!!! All you cannot even build a road properly ad within reasonable time. Resilient my posterior. None of government buildings have solar power. imports of food continue to rise, exports of products continue to fall. Getting adequate help and medicine in the hospital is fight. police involved in more wrong doing than you would think. housing for people just going up and up and up but we dont even know how many people in Dominica after Maria, we just building to build. Resilient my posterior. Another Maria will come and do us the exact same thing. PM will run to America and cry for more free money which half of it wont ever see the Dominican streets. The only thing in Dominica that is resilient is those paros.
In case you are wondering – as I was – the author (Jose Alison Kentish) is a Dominican journalist, based in St.Lucian who has a Masters Degree in Science and Health Journalism.
May I suggest, in addition to her role as a proponent of the perceived effects of climate change, that Miss Kentish continues to report on all aspects of her homeland, but without the aid of rose coloured glasses.
That’s interesting…….
Skerrit himself is aware of the septic system situations at the different apartment complexes around Dominica……climate resilience after removal of pit latrines eh.
De beneficiaries know de truth…….even de world bank housing programs have its issues of beneficiaries not being able to afford light and water.
I see a photo of the bellevue houses……one actually smell de awful stench of sewage before you actually see de houses on approach.
I must say…..I doh know de intent of the report …..but less than 5 photos of climate resilience in action on de ground.
I myself feel like one can attract funds under false intent
Dominica is a stunningly enchanting, natural gem of an island. There is none, no not one other, that can compare in this world.
Having said that, Dominica has a huge problem. The people are too divided due to the entrenched partisan politics. This problem is not recent , it is historical. However, it has gotten progressively worse in the last two decades.
Can Dominica become the first fully climate resilient country? Yes! But sad to say, not with the present divisive, intransigent, dishonest and ignorant ruler and his servile disciples at the helm of government.
Once the country gets a honest, caring, inclusive , astute leader who can unify the people, the greatest possibilities are infinite.
So what you trying to say Ibo, get Mr Skerrit, and put that so-called good for nothing useless workers incompetent party in and Dominica will be a much better place is that what you saying? Man you must be out of your backside, have you forgotten or would not admit what Edison James, and his incompetent useless workers party did to Dominica,
Boy workers party is definitely dead like willy and will never come back up.
AA climate resilience still going on nuh?