Amid wreckage of hurricane-devastated Caribbean, leaders see a climate change opening
But amid the overwhelming destruction wrought by a powerful Hurricane Maria last month, Skerrit also sees opportunity. On Sunday, as
He wants to transform Dominica, he said, into the "world's first climate-resistant nation in the climate change era." And he wants the
"Our devastation is so complete that our recovery has to be total," Skerrit said. "We have a unique opportunity to be an example to the world, an example of how an entire nation rebounds from disaster and how an entire nation can be climate resilient for the future.
"We did not choose this opportunity. We did not wish it," he added. "Having had it thrust upon us, we have chosen actively and decisively to be that example to the world."
The plan, which began in 2015 after Tropical Storm Erika's floods and mudslides left the island with a
"The intensity of hurricanes are increasing and we need to ensure we can build better, resilient infrastructure," said Skerrit, who arrived in
But if almost half a billion dollars was required to rebuild after Erika, Maria's damage -- coupled with the push to climate-proof the new construction -- will likely cost many times that amount. Skerrit said his government has invited several independent agencies to assess how much money Dominica will need. Similar economic studies are also being conducted on hurricane-struck
"The intensity of hurricanes and multiplication of hurricanes in the
Guterres welcomed Skerrit's vision, which dovetails with that of
"This is going to be a battle," Guterres told the
While no country can be completely impervious to climate change, Guterres said, changes can help, such as new construction standards and farming techniques to resist drought and deluge.
The discussion among top
But in the
"We need to preserve our paradises. We need to make climate protection our top priority," the
A believer in the fight to combat climate change -- long before 147 countries in
He learned from scientific contacts and research while organizing university seminars on innovation and sustainable development in his native
And his former role as the
"Before, there were droughts every 10 years, then every five years. Now every two years there is a drought...more people are being forced to move," he said. "Climate change will be one of the main drivers of displacement in the world."
As he flew over parts of
"Not a single leaf," he said, looking at the trees below that had been stripped down to sticks.
The pride of nature preservationists, Dominica has been known as Nature's Island. The rainforest is devoid of life, its colorful parrots and wildlife scattered, and the lush green mountains have turned brown. Twenty-six are confirmed dead and 31 are missing, Skerrit said.
"I have never seen anywhere else in the world a forest completely decimated without a single leaf on any tree," Guterres said. Though he had witnessed the devastation in
Guterres and Skerrit visited Salybia, a farming village in the Kalinago territory, where descendants of the island's indigenous population, formerly known as Caribs, live. Aid packets of rice, tuna, lentils, flour and salt were being distributed by
Kalinago Chief
But Guterres offered those gathered a different viewpoint. "These disasters, they are largely due not to God's will but to what the people on the planet are doing. ...The people on this planet have not been taking care of this planet and especially the developed world."
Guterres said he knows that there are non-believers when it comes to climate change. But even though
"There is a strong commitment of the American society to make sure that the engagement the
Seeing the devastation of Irma and Maria up close only reinforced his feelings.
"It confirms everything I felt," he said, as the plane approached
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