Business View Caribbean - August/September 2018

10 11 OPENING LINES BUILDING THE CARIBBEAN’S CLIMATE RESILIENCE TO ENSURE BASIC SURVIVAL I n 2004, when the Category 4 hurricane Ivan hit the tiny island nation of Grenada and its 151 mph winds stalled overhead for 15 hours, it devastated the country. But not before pummeling Barbados and other islands, killing at least 15 people. And again last year, the destruction left be- hind in several Caribbean islands by Hurricanes Irma and Maria once again highlighted the vulnerability of these island countries. It has also emphasized the need for a strong natural resource base to protect and make commu- nities and ecosystems more resilient to the impacts of climate change, which are expected to become even more severe in the future. “Building the region’s resilience to climate change, natural hazards, and environmental changes is not only a necessary and urgent development imperative, but it is also a fun- damental requirement to ensure our basic survival as a people,” Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell said recently. “We have no choice as a region but to pursue climate-smart development, as we forge ahead to build a climate-resilient Caribbean.” Grenada is among ten Caribbean countries