The Government of Grenada has created a new ministry specifically to deal with the wide-ranging effects of climate change:

Speaking at the opening of the Caribbean Development Bank’s 48th annual Board of Governors in Grenada on [May 30], Dr Keith Mitchell said the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment, Fisheries, Forestry and Disaster Management is mandated to work to ensure that every area of his island’s development is up to speed on the question of addressing climate change.

Noting that the hurricane season begins on Friday, June 1, Dr Mitchell, whose island was ravaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, said it is time for the Caribbean to adjust to the new normal and recognise that the super hurricanes of 2017 won’t be the last.

“Adjusting to the new normal requires comprehensive and coordinated efforts to mainstream climate change considerations in development planning. In practice, this will require a shift in focus, from sustainable development to climate-smart sustainable development,” he said.

“At the macro level, we must accelerate our transition to green and blue economies, and in so doing, synchronise economic development with environmental sustainability. Operationally, we must institutionalise climate-risk screening of all infrastructure projects and programmes, of both the public and private sectors. In tandem, we also need to enforce proper building standards that support climate-resilient infrastructure.”

Dr Mitchell said it is crucially important that we invest in climate-smart education to entrench a culture of respect for, and preservation of this, our one Planet Earth.

“Our waste disposal practices in the region must be made to conform to the highest environmental standards. We must also hasten to reverse our dependence on the use of plastics and Styrofoam materials, for example, and start using bio-degradable material,” he urged.

Read more at LoopTT. See also: Grenada leading the way for climate change adaptation.

[Image: conespider]