As global leaders enter the first full week of Cop28, a small Caribbean island is determined to become the world's first climate-proof country.
The developing state of Dominica is "one of the most disaster-vulnerable countries on Earth", said the BBC, making it "disproportionately impacted by climate change". If the world fails to meet its emission-slashing targets, Dominica risks destruction.
Bearing this "rapidly closing window" in mind, Cop28 is a chance for Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit to highlight the unique set of challenges faced by the island, and to push for small-state financing.
Dominica's "mountainous terrain and steep slopes" means that "most of the country is prone to either landslides or flooding" and climate change is an "existential threat", said Emily Wilkinson, director of the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative at the Overseas Development Institute, for The Conversation.
Skerrit "set the bold ambition of becoming the first climate-resilient nation" in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which caused "the kind of devastation which is unthinkable to larger countries", said Wilkinson.
For Dominica, this means "being able to handle more intense hurricanes and more frequent flooding", with its targets and roadmap combining "everything from building design to nature-based power sources and climate-resilient crop systems".
The island's early warning system is perhaps the most important, helping Dominicans to "make what can be life-saving preparations, such as moving to higher ground", the BBC reported.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Cloudbursts: what are the 'rain bombs' hitting India and Pakistan?The Explainer The sudden and intense weather event is almost impossible to forecast and often leads to deadly flash-flooding and landslides
-
What do heatwaves mean for Scandinavia?Under the Radar A record-breaking run of sweltering days and tropical nights is changing the way people – and animals – live in typically cool Nordic countries
-
Blue whales have gone silent and it's posing troubling questionsUnder the radar Warming oceans are the answer
-
Acid rain is back: the sequel nobody wantedUnder The Radar A 'forever chemical' in rainwater is reviving a largely forgotten environmental issue
-
Why is the world so divided over plastics?Today's Big Question UN negotiations on first global plastic treaty are at stake, as fossil fuel companies, petrostates and plastic industry work to resist a legal cap on production
-
Tuvalu is being lost to climate change. Other countries will likely follow.Under the Radar Sea level rise is putting islands underwater
-
Melting glaciers may lead to more volcanic eruptionsUnder the radar We're in for a boom
-
Europe's heatwave: the new front line of climate changeIn the Spotlight How will the continent adapt to 'bearing the brunt of climate change'?
