Islands like Dominica need to address data gap to remain ‘habitable’, report says
With climate change disproportionately affecting small island developing states (SIDS) like Dominica, experts are calling for a close collaboration between the scientific community and local governments to develop sustainable plans to keep these states “habitable.”
In a comprehensive report prepared by BBC’s Future Planet, experts weighed in on the future of SIDS how they can combat the effects of climate change, especially in the Caribbean where 16 countries fall under this vulnerable category.
The report cited Shobha Maharaj, a climate impacts scientist and lead author of the small islands chapter in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, who suggested to address the data gap in climate action.
“We don’t have data on future sea-level rise and wave climate projections for most islands. Think about that. We’re so exposed and vulnerable on our coastlines,” Maharaj said.
The scientist also said data on “the value of ecosystems services to tackling climate change, and studies to model their future habitability” are also important.
Above all else, there must be “clear, direct communication chains from scientists to policymakers to ensure they are aware of what’s lacking and the consequences.”
One of the challenges small islands face in combating climate change is their own respective unique topography, and Dominica, which aims to become the world’s first climate resilient nation, is no exception.
According to Emily Wilkinson, a senior research fellow for the London-based think tank Overseas Development Institute, generating accurate weather forecasts can be tricky especially with the mountainous ones.
“Many communities get completely cut off by tropical cyclones, sometimes for weeks,” Wilkinson said.
Dominica has developed a system to disseminate forecasts and warnings as soon as they can with a special “grassroots approach of support and communication using traditional conch shells.”
The island has also resorted to revising its building code last year in line with its climate-resilient goals.
MMC Development Ltd., a private developing company that has been working closely with the government of Dominica is keeping with protocols under Dominica’s 2020-30 Climate Resilience and Recovery Plan. With over 2,000 houses built to withstand natural disasters, MMC Development Ltd. has helped the government provide climate-resilient homes to residents who have been affected by the violent storms and hurricanes that pummelled the island in the last years.
“With the intensity of the hurricane and dealing with the impacts of climate change, resilient housing became a priority,” said Frederick Donaldson, the disaster coordinator for the territory and a member of the Kalinago community, in his interview for the BBC article.