… plans to be developed before COP27
NASSAU, Bahamas - REGIONAL Heads of Government are currently in Nassau, Bahamas discussing critical climate issues affecting the region and the way they can best plan to have them tackled at the upcoming COP 27 meeting in Egypt.
With the exception of a few, including the Federation’s newly-elected Prime Minister, Dr. Terrance Drew, all of the leaders are gathered at the Baha Mar Resort and were locked in climate discussions, as the region continues to grapple with the challenges posed.
Among those issues are rising sea levels, increased global temperatures which affect coral reefs, more hurricanes and storms, and unpredictable patterns.
The host nation knows quite well of the impact of climate change as this meeting is being held two weeks before the three-year anniversary of Hurricane Dorian, which battered several of the islands in the chain.
Bahamas’ Prime Minister, Phillip Davis, while welcoming the Heads of Government, underscored the need for action to deal with climate change, pointing to the challenges of intense heat waves, wildfires and droughts “that are further terrible evidence of the accelerating impact of climate change” not only in the region but across the globe.
“With the climate is changing faster than predicted, the challenges we face are stark - but they are not insurmountable,” added Davis.
Experts have emphasized that Small Island Developing States (SIDS), such as those within the region that do not emit the same level of greenhouse gasses as the developed nations, will feel the brunt of the challenges posed.
Davis reminded that the continued impact would be felt physically, psychologically, socially and economically, as his territory is still facing from the ravages of the Category 5 Hurricane Dorian that lashed the island chain for several hours without moving.
The impact of that Hurricane had resulted in more than 80 deaths and left more than 100 persons missing, as well as damage to housing and infrastructure amounting to millions of dollars. But as the stark reminder remains, Regional Leaders are all too wary of the threat as they meet during the Hurricane season.
They are reminded that they should not step forward as individual SIDS but rather as a collective, and in that way action can be had and the voices can have an impact.
“If we advance our interests merely as individual Small Island Developing States, our voices will be dispersed, unable to be heard above louder, wealthier carbon-producing interests. Friends, there really is strength in numbers, and if we stand together we are less likely to fall apart,” Davis emphasized.
Though the Bahamian PM had echoed the calls of many who are facing multiple challenges, he advised that together they have to find suitable conditions to adjust to the state of affairs.
“We need to find effective, efficient ways to adapt to new realities. We have to re-structure our lives and our living environment to mitigate against the disasters which are becoming more frequent and more severe. Easy to say…much harder to pay for.”
He however noted that that is easier said than done, as many territories within the region are heavily “indebted”.
“While there are multiple reasons for this, in many cases a major contributor to debt is borrowing associated with recovery efforts from the impact of climate change. Here in The Bahamas, we undertook an exercise which revealed that more that 50% of our outstanding debt can be linked to the impacts of the hurricanes, which descended on us between 2015 and 2019,” Davis explained.
He continued: “Our countries are struggling with debts accumulated by climate disasters. What does this mean for the development of our nations when our risk profile is becoming so severe that insurers question their willingness to offer risk facilities to offset climate disasters? Put simply, we are in danger of becoming uninsurable. Many, if not all, of us have already faced challenges in accessing climate-related funds.”
The two-day meeting will wrap-up today (Aug. 17) when Regional Leaders will engage reporters on their final document and plans to enter the COP 27 meeting as a collective voice.
