ROSEAU, Dominica, April 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Commonwealth of Dominica is famously known as "Nature Isle" because of its mesmerizing, eye-catching beauty, but it is often a target of natural disasters, mainly hurricanes and tropical storms. Situated in the Caribbean region, it is a small island country with a population of only 70,000.
Dominica, like many other Small Island Developing States (SIDS), is at the forefront of the war against climate change. After Hurricane Maria caused massive destruction in 2017, the Prime Minister of Dominica, Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit, promised to make his country the world's first-ever climate-resilient nation.
Following the catastrophe caused by Hurricane Maria, Prime Minister Skerrit, while addressing the 72nd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), boldly pledged to build a climate-resilient nation and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. Soon after, the Climate Resilience Execution Agency for Dominica (CREAD) was created. The motive of CREAD is to lead and coordinate strategic initiatives across all sectors in the country with the goal of leading the climate resiliency mission in Dominica.
While moving towards this walkway, the government has been providing climate-resilient houses, hospitals, and health care facilities, and hurricane shelters in all communities island wide.
In May 2020, the Cabinet of Dominica approved the Disaster Resilience Strategy as an Annex to the Climate Resilience and Recovery Plan (CRRP). At that time, Prime Minister Skerrit announced that the intention of the Government is to rebuild Dominica better into the first climate-resilient nation in the world.
As per the government, the goal of the newly adopted "Disaster Resilience Strategy" is to give a comprehensive plan that includes the cost, policies as well as financing for natural disaster resilience.
Dominica is committed to implementing this Strategy; the cost of funding the interventions outlined in the Disaster Resilience Strategy (DRS) is approximate US$2.8 billion dollars.
In order to make the above-mentioned initiatives a reality, the Dominican government invested heavy in various sectors, which are as follows –
1.) Housing – As promised, the Dominican Government stayed committed to reaching the development scales. Over the course of four years, more than 1,500 homes were constructed and distributed to families displaced by Hurricane Maria. The aim is to build and give 5,000 climate-resilient homes.
- In mid-2021, the Government of Dominica handed over ten (10) climate-resilient homes to Cochrane during a ceremony. The Minister of Housing and Urban Development – Reginald Austrie, congratulated and applauded the efforts of the government for this massive investment and development initiative.
- Prior to Christmas 2021, Prime Minister Skerrit handed over the keys to climate-resilient homes to twelve families.
- Recently, in February 2022, the construction of around 40 houses commenced in the Salybia constituency. As per the government, these housing units will be built with a capacity to withstand hurricane-force winds and seismic activity.
2.) Hospitals and Health Care – Another sector that has been turning towards the climate-resilient infrastructure is the medical sector. The government has been constructing world-class, climate-resilient hospitals, healthcare centres, and community centres in the region.
- One such magnificent construction is Marigot Hospital, whose contract was signed in late-2019. As many as 40,000 square feet of the area have been utilized by the government for the construction of this project. It has two floors with a capacity of 75 beds. The hospital is laced with world-class facilities and a large number of essential services and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including ambulance services, intensive care units, maternity care, paediatric care, laboratory and radiology services, trauma centre, and emergency care units. The construction project is a ray of hope for the citizens of Dominica; it is expected that it will become a milestone in the path of the development of healthcare in Dominica.
- In February 2022, the government said that the construction work of the new Bagatelle Health and Wellness Center at the Petite Savanne Constituency had been completed, and it would also be commissioned soon.
3.) Geothermal Power Plant – The Government of Dominica signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a local green energy company to set up the island's first geothermal potential, which is one step forward by the Government of Dominica to build a sustainable, climate-resilient nation.
Micha Rose Emmett, CEO of the world's leading government advisory and marketing firm, CS Global Partners also lauded the efforts of Dominica towards sustainability.
"Dominica has taken urgent action to combat climate change with the sustainable development goals projects, including new sustainable infrastructure to ensure durability against extreme natural disasters, banning single-use plastic, and encouraging eco-friendly habits.”
This initiative has proved the commitment of the government to championing sustainability, which is one of the numerous goals defined in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Countries like Dominica have been doing their part to address the situation as world leaders and activists continue to urge dialogue on climate action in the context of COP26.
4.) International Airport – The agreement to construct an international airport was signed at Windsor Park Stadium in June 2021. Prime Minister remarked it as an extraordinary step in the transformation of the country.
Prime Minister Skerrit has committed that the International Airport of Dominica will connect the country directly to Europe and the United States of America by 2025. He further mentioned, "It's a proud moment for the island, and the government has been fulfilling its promise to the people of Dominica."
Prime Minister further added that the construction project would be completed in five phases, and the worth of the project is more than 1 billion Eastern Caribbean Dollars.
The Government has also been working on other projects, including the construction of bridges, schools, and hurricane shelters.
Undoubtedly, Dominica is a paradise with 365 rivers, innumerable waterfalls, and boiling lake hiking trails. Dominica is known as one of the best travel destinations across the globe. Various facilities offered by the country include – birdwatching, canyoning, trekking, whale-watching, and relaxation in natural hot springs are all available to visitors.
Dominica has become a market for eco-tourism and sustainability. The country provides a wide range of eco-hotels, such as Jungle Bay Resort, Secret Bay, and the newly constructed Cabrits Resort Kempinski.
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