New CARICOM Chair wants to create world’s first climate resilient region
Incoming Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse says the regional grouping is moving towards creating the world’s first climate resilient region in the year ahead.
Moise made the statement as he reflecting on the devastation caused by several natural disasters in the Caribbean during 2017.
He said as “2018 dawns for the Caribbean Community, with the prospect of seizing an opportunity out of a crisis. As we begin the rebuilding process after the devastating hurricanes of last September, as well Hurricane Matthew, which pounded the region on October 3-4 , 2016, we do so with the aim of creating the first climate resilient Region in the world,” while delivering his New Year’s Message.
According to the new CARICOM leader, it is an absolute necessity to create a climate smart Region given the effects of climate change which have brought droughts, mega hurricanes, heavy floods and unusual weather patterns, all of which adversely affect our development.
“The social and economic gains that we have made individually and collectively must be protected against the onslaught of nature. The CARICOM Member States’, as well as the region’s non-member States’ production of greenhouse gases, is practically nil, even though they bear a disproportionate share of the consequences,” he further stated.
Moïse stated too that the goodwill and pledges which have been forthcoming from the international community at two major global conferences in New York and Paris gives the Region hope that the necessary support to achieve its objective will be forthcoming.
