The islands are sounding the climatic alarm bell. After the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tuvalu, whose images of the speech with his feet in the water had toured the world during COP26, then the archipelago of Vanuatu, which declared a state of climate emergency in May 2022, it is the turn of the Caribbean to challenge the international community. The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) concluded its summit on Friday in Guatemala, mainly devoted to global warming.
This organization of 25 countries, in addition to associate members of which France is a member, recalled the significant risks that weigh on the Caribbean islands and coasts, in particular the rising waters and the threats of submersion. One of the main topics on the agenda was therefore that of climate refugees, in particular islanders. “Our study tells us that by 2050, more than 50 million people could migrate from island regions to continental regions, and this generates a problem of public services, an economic and social problem for all”, alerted the Secretary General of the organization, Rodolfo Sabonge.
Better manage hurricanes
On Thursday, seven residents of the Dutch island of Bonaire launched, with the help of Greenpeace, legal action against the Dutch state, which they accuse of “negligence in protecting the island against the climate crisis” and “violation of human rights”. “The effects of climate change will not diminish, they will increase,” warned Rodolfo Sabonge, calling for “being creative and innovative” in solving these problems.
The ACS thus mentioned several projects, including the implementation of early warning systems to better manage the passage of hurricanes, which cause deaths and great damage every year in the Caribbean zone. “Early warning prevents the loss of life, prevents the loss of infrastructure” and allows populations to be better prepared, detailed the Secretary General.