With Dominica still reeling from the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria, Environment Minister, Dr. Kenneth Darroux, has warned that the island should prepare for the next hurricane season.
Speaking at a Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (GEF SGP) function earlier this week he said Dominica has done a very small percentage of its recovery after Maria.
“It means that we now have to start getting ready,” he stated. “We have just probably done 0.0005 percent of our recovery but we now have to think of another hurricane season and there is a cruel twist to this … it’s not like we have a quota assigned to us, where we can say, well, ok Dominica got Maria this year, so next year it is St. Vincent or Barbados, it doesn’t work out that way.”
Darroux stated that every weather event that starts in the Atlantic, there is a possibility that it might turn into another Maria and it could possibly affect Dominica.
He said he has been informed by experts that Dominica is the most probable country to get hit because of its position in the Caribbean archipelago.
“Now this spells really bad news for us and again not to get us as afraid but to get us prepared,” Darroux remarked.
The GEF SGP works in five fundamental focal areas: Biodiversity, Climate Change, International Waters, Land Degradation and Sustainable Forest Management, and Chemicals.
SGP provides financial and technical support to projects that conserve and restore the environment while enhancing people’s well-being and livelihoods.
The best way to prepare for the next hurricane season is to get this government off the backs of the poor people . greedy!
Another thing that should be in our preparedness for future hurricanes is the zero tolerance of looting and other crimes associated with such disasters.
Would-be criminals must be left in no doubt that they will be cracked down on hard and fast.
CCTV and other aids must be put in place to catch these criminals.
As the Minister for the Environment and Health as well as the Parliamentary Representative for some of the communities mostly affected by Hurricane Maria… I am yet to see nor feel your presence in those communities…at least an outreach/consultation can be organized for villagers to voice out their opinions… just my thoughts this morning.
“Environment Minister, Dr. Kenneth Darroux, has warned that the island should prepare for the next hurricane season…” A little bird twittered me with this corrected message from appears Dr. Darroux.
Here goes: Environment Minister, Dr. Kenneth Darroux, has warned all Dominicans to be prepared that the island should prepare for the next Labour political Hurricane and most corrupt government season. It will hit us hard from all directions from 1st December 2018. “Happy Corrupt labour Party Government” That’s what this inept PM and his band of corrupt people are about, killing our poverty stricken island.
They must Go…get rid of the old year, it was terrible……Maria and Skerrit and his corrupt Labour government we cant take. We had enough.
Thank you DNO. If we do not repent , love one another and unite with all. God will surely touch us harder. Religious leaders, politicians Dominicans young and old will all remember my words. God is calling on all Dominicans to repent and forgive each other. A voice crying in the wilderness.
This is very important. Now what the minister has to tell us is what the government has in mind to assist the people in preparing. It is all well and good to advise the people to prepare, but what after the advice????
Also, what does the minister of health have to say about the spread of diseases that can be expected?
This is just as important, as mosquitoes and other disease spreading insects, pests and rodents multiply in vast numbers.
Just a thought.
Readiness is simply, going forward, build stronger residential structures and solid government shelters in certified safe areas.
Going forward, government should make it priority that all schools nationwide be built to withstand a Category 5 plus hurricane. Those schools will be used for shelters.
Let me just add a little bit to your input.
In addition to schools, health centers and Police / Fire stations in various communities should be upgraded as well to with stand Cat 5 hurricanes. These are the first responders.
All buildings cannot be done in time for next Hurricane season in a few months, however Govt should identify a few communities right away and start the upgrading process immediately.
I’m not trusting this DLP government when money talking
Set of GREEDY people in de house but fire ? burn them
The government is too busy collecting graft to ever prepare for or to ever maintain anything.
That’s quite obvious to many but by any chance has Mr. Darroux suggested one way on how to prepare?
I can suggest that the OECS Gov’ts negotiate better interest rates for Mortgages at the Banks, starting in Dominica, so that Dominicans can build houses to the required standards to minimize hurricane damages. This can be achieved either by supplementing part of the borrowings or interest payments from grant/relief funding.
Also, the gov’ts need to enlist the local civil engineers for better infrastructural designs, conducive to our terrain/environmental exposure. Maintenance of the waterways is paramount, spend the money there.
..and Ultimately All Dominicans need to develop a sense of pride and social responsibility..Stop dumping garbage everywhere, especially in the river beds or flood plains.
First, there should be no carnival. The money to build costumes should go to fixing roofs, especially for the elderly and disabled. The money they paying those bands to come n make noise should go to purchasing and restocking non perishable foods, and much needed supplies. Every little thing in excess should go towards helping the people of Dominica right now. Dominicans need help. I still see many many uncovered roofs and barely passable streets etc. I’m a lover of carnival, but the country’s stability comes first. How we have every country around the world trying to help us and we partying? If the country cannot live without carnival, maybe have it on a very small scale. A block party in the day for children and blockorama later on for adults to help destress but that’s it. I’m just saying.
Stop using the schools, and churches as shelters . All that money that alu PM get from sales of passports and millions in donations .I do hope he will put that money to good use including building hurricane shelters . PM had millions making sot all over Dominica b4 Hurricane Maria , What happened to that money ? I get Hurricane Maria take it with her to. These people in Dominica are big jokes ?
They going and save half for their election
What Darroux says is patently obvious. If we don’t prepare for hurricanes in future then we will be shocked time and time again. We must take hurricanes for granted – EVERY YEAR.
Preparation means sensible and calm food hoarding, building near hurricane-proof houses – thinking outside the box where the building houses are concerned. Hard but light plastics instead of concrete and wood etc, huge food storage centres, underground if possible, robust backup energy and water supplies and lab farming for quicker and more secure yields.
What is necessary is the formation of a body exclusively dedicated to dealing with hurricanes.
Man, let’s just pick up the Island on a huge crane and let’s relocate like somewhere near Trinidad, which doesn’t get hurricanes. We moving south!!!
lol
lol what a brilliant idea from an idiot.
Good thing All king skerrit children was born foreign, because D/ca finibat
Darroux’s comments are like rocket science it seems like.Following TS Erica Skerritt said we were going to have to be prepared and yet when Hurricane Maria struck there wasn’t any signs of preparation not even by the police.Boy these politicians just like to hear themselves speak
You still writing man look like the green grocery shop in the misty woods have very little work.
come back home and plant. St.Jean Jokerthan. send some US $ 4 ur leader to pay Byrnes Pinard his money.
Oh boy, another new red arsed baboon
Darroux, you all advertise Dominica as the nature island of the world (in reality the only primitive) place on earth, so you should not worry about the next hurricane season.
Nature is doing it work, helping you to keep Dominica the only nature island of the world!
How about that! You should be praying to God, that for the next thirty years another as Maria do not return, unless you want our nation for the rest of time look forward to getting handouts from the world at large, to fill you all pockets with free money!
Stupes……. All u have jokes wi
“He said he has been informed by experts that Dominica is the most probable country to get hit because of its position in the Caribbean archipelago.”
I doubt that climatic records sustain this assumption.
We do not need an expert for that. All wee need to do is go back throught the records for last 100 years and see how many hurricane have affected us, direct hits and those that passed near us and we can compare to rest of Caribbean. You do not need an expert for that. A high school student with data can get. Then we can see probability.
I agree, the information is readily available. The Admiralty Pilot for these waters gives a diagrammatic overview of hurricane tracks since records began. To the best of my recollection, the tracks are relatively evenly spaced between Grenada to the south and the Virgin Islands to the north.
What we tend to forget is the influence that pressure systems have on steers steering hurricanes. Had it not have been for a dominant high to the north during September, Maria would have passed us by. However, we have to thank that strong high for keeping her moving at a fast pace given her intensity. Had she have slowed down Dominica’s plight would have been immeasurably worse.
Good day MR. Darroux, At this time we should be working on areas that a badly hit by hurricane maria, as fast as we can. the time has come when we must be proactive rather to be inactive. lets work on building levees where levees is need to avoid further destruction to the Island. Places like Roseau, Pichelin, etc are very important. So you have my blessing to do the right thing. We must save Pichelin because we cannot relocate everybody when we can save these villages. Put people to, or get people overseas to do the job. also Sir we need to recreate a more positive public works agency in Dominica as it was in the 1960 etc. Let Dominican works to re-build Dominica. I am hoping to see you soon in the coming month’s mean while do your best on the Reconstruction of Dominica.
“Sir we need to recreate a more positive public works agency in Dominica as it was in the 1960 etc. Let Dominican works to re-build Dominica”. Theres one slight problem with that statement, in the 1960 Dominica was still under British rule so it would have been easier to do these things your asking as far as resources and technology. Dominica has neither it seems.
It’s in his pocket we going in 2018
Darroux I hope you will encourage Skerritt to spend the $58 Million that was given the Dominica for climate resilient construction in Dominica on relevant projects.
That money was given in 2015 ad since then we have not seen any project from that money.
So Mr. Darroux, put your money where your mouth is.
we will give Linton a portion to pay pinard burne him money owed to him and orders.
Are we to assume that money went into deep pockets?