Seemingly persuaded that the Caribbean remains continually vulnerable to becoming the victim of a catastrophic climate change event that could even give rise to the need for hurried regional migration, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley is advocating that her country and others in the region be prepared for the eventuality of an episode that could trigger the need for the evacuation of thousands of people.
While the issue of climate change and the particular vulnerability of small island states has arisen at various regional fora over the years, the current science-driven level of climate change concern has become an issue of increasing worry for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Speaking at an official event in Barbados earlier this week Prime Minister Mottley is reported to have said that her own country had already put mechanisms in place for such an eventuality. Contextually, the Barbados PM alluded to the August 2017 floods that rocked the Caribbean. “2017 was that year that showed us the possibility of what could happen with the impact on Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda in particular with those successive hurricanes that hit us,” Mottley is quoted as saying.
Barbados also felt the effects of the 2017 tropical storms and their consequences which created the necessity for large numbers of Barbadians to be rescued from their homes on account of the floodwaters.
The Barbadian Prime Minister said that her concern over flooding in the region included both the island states and the mainland territories in the community.
“We have been told by the CCCCC [Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre] and the UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] that a one-meter rise in sea level can displace approximately 110,000 people in CARICOM member states. It was estimated that two per cent of the population in St Kitts and Nevis and indeed, three per cent of the population in Antigua and Barbuda could be displaced as a result of these types of events. This potential displacement leads us to enquire if the current response in our member states can accommodate management of mass migration or displacement of such a large number of persons,” Mottley said.
While the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) lists flood preparedness amongst its list of responsibilities, the Agency is not known to possess the capacity to respond adequately to major emergencies that might require the emergency evacuation of large numbers of CARICOM nationals from their respective island territories.
