A call is being made for more “aggressive” financing options and for urgent action on the part of small island developing states (SIDS) to help mitigate the risks associated with natural hazards.
Joining the call on Friday for countries to do what was in their power to address the situation and “ensure there is a Caribbean region left” for future generations, Minister of Economic Affairs and Investment Marsha Caddle said SIDS were vulnerable and have been made more so by the world’s ongoing inaction.
“It is that vulnerability that requires us to invest in resilience. It is the reason we have called for a 50/50 global split in climate finance and mitigation,” said Caddle.
“While vulnerability is our reality it must not be our destiny. The world has a duty to act, but no one is coming to save us, we have a duty to protect our people. For this the gap is finance – predictable liquidity,” she said.
She was addressing the first in a series of UNESCO/ SIDS dialogue on disaster and risk reduction, with focus on the Caribbean, Atlantic and Indian Ocean and South China Sea regions.
Pointing out that the world was not on track to meet the 1.5 degree celsius temperature limit, the lower of the two temperature limits set by the Paris Agreement on climate change, Caddle said even with considerable efforts small Caribbean countries will have 12 to 20 years of continuing to experience worsening impacts.
“So continuing to focus on mitigation is important but without aggressive commitment to financing adaptation, without acknowledging the true cost of loss and damage, the world will continue to trade in platitudes while our countries disappear,” she warned.
She said while several investments have been made in various regional agencies and the planning and response framework in the Caribbean, there was still need for investment in the types of “scientific capacity” for tracking and reporting and to create a regional hub for humanitarian response.
Throughout the day, officials highlighted the catastrophic impact of climatic events and other natural hazards on Caribbean economies and other SIDS. They also examined and discussed proven good practices and possible solutions.
The discussions, which were supported by Japan, New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Australia, came just over a week ahead of the highly-anticipated COP26 climate summit in Scotland, which is scheduled for October 31 to November 12.
President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan also warned that SIDS had no choice but to “reckon with disaster risk reduction” in an effort to achieve and maintain their development trajectories.
“While it is true that we are victims of the environmental injustice brought about by the climate change, it is also true that we owe it to our future generations to do what is within our means to adapt to this situation instead of just lamenting our faith in the face of this existential threat,” he said.
“Disaster and risk reduction are essential if SIDS are to confront climate change while grappling with traditional development challenges,” he said.
Ramkalawan said it was critical that SIDS “redouble their efforts” to reduce the negative impacts of risks and disasters, adding that the best way to do this was through capacity building.
“Through capacity building we will develop the capabilities to mitigate those negative impacts. We can only do so if we undergo a paradigm shift in our thinking and approach. It implies shifting our policy emphasis from response to prevention, from vulnerability to resilience,” he outlined.
He agreed that SIDS will also require additional financial resources and “the best strategic partners the world has to offer”, adding that UNESCO was ideally placed to be that partner.
“UNESCO has been an unwavering advocate for the cause of SIDS . . . by aligning its programmes with the Samoa Pathway, UNESCO will ensure that its various actions in education, culture and science are geared towards helping SIDS build up the necessary capacities to become resilient societies capable of dealing with disasters risk management in a proactive way,” said Ramkalawan. (MM)
