Caribbean Island’s Journey to Become the World’s First Climate Resilient Nation

Nestled in the Caribbean, the beautiful island of Dominica is on a quest to become the world’s first climate-resilient nation. With 90 percent of its population living on the coast due to mountainous terrain, early warning systems have become crucial to protect lives, livelihoods, and habitability. As Ilan Kelman, deputy director of the University College London (UCL) Warning Research Centre, emphasizes, “Warnings are important for everyone.”

Source: Developing Dominica/Youtube

Small island developing states like Dominica are disproportionately affected by Climate change, and this makes early warning systems even more critical. Shobha Maharaj, a climate impacts scientist and lead author of the small islands chapter in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) report, explains that the adaptation limits of some islands may be exceeded before 2100. Rising sea levels, increasing hurricane strength, floods, and landslides are among the principal Climate change concerns for Dominica.

Early warning systems have been recognized as a key pillar of climate adaptation across various risk areas worldwide, from hurricanes and flooding to extreme heat and disease spread. The IPCC credits these systems for saving lives during the devastating European heatwave of 2003 and emphasizes their importance in reducing casualties due to flood risks.

Last year, at the Cop27 climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, UN Secretary-General António Guterres unveiled a plan to ensure everyone on the planet is protected by early warning systems within the next five years. He noted that countries with limited early warning coverage have disaster mortality rates eight times higher than those with high coverage.

Dominica’s mountainous topography makes generating accurate extreme weather forecasts, particularly for floods, challenging. Emily Wilkinson, a senior research fellow at the Overseas Development Institute, explains that many communities can be completely cut off by tropical cyclones for weeks.

As we celebrate Dominica’s efforts in climate adaptation and resilience, let’s remember that we all have a role to play in fighting Climate change. Support initiatives that promote early warning systems and sustainable practices, and encourage your local leaders to prioritize climate action. Together, we can make a difference and protect our planet for future generations.

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