Hurricane Beryl has gone, but we are left to pick up the pieces. Those Caribbean islands which were impacted by Beryl are now in a state of assessment and/or rebuilding. Jamaica, Grenada, and St Vincent and the Grenadines are the countries in Caricom that have been impacted the most. Barbados was impacted to a lesser extent.

The hurricane which lashed the south-eastern Caribbean with life-threatening winds and flooding made history before it even made landfall. Beryl became the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic.

Perhaps the two most riveting lessons to be learnt from the passage of Hurricane Beryl are that Caribbean governments must pay more attention to climate change, and the rebuilding process must include technologies associated with renewable energy. Climate change has had a tangible impact on small island developing states (SIDS). This impact is located in the destruction of communications, energy, and transport infrastructure; homes; health facilities; and schools.

The United Nations states that slow onset events, such as sea level rise, pose an existential threat to small island communities, requiring drastic measures such as relocation of populations. These challenges are compounded by limited institutional capacity, scarce financial resources and a high degree of vulnerability to systemic shocks.

The UN argues that biodiversity is an important issue for the livelihood of many SIDS, as industries like tourism and fisheries can constitute over half of the gross domestic product (GDP) of small island economies. However, the importance of these natural resources extends beyond the economy; biodiversity holds aesthetic and spiritual value for many island communities. For centuries, these communities have drawn benefits from biodiversity in the form of food supply, clean water, reduced beach erosion, soil and sand formation, and protection from storm surges. Additionally, strong biodiversity not only generates revenue through industries for SIDS, it also helps prevent the incurrence of additional costs that can result from climate change, soil erosion, pollution, floods, natural disasters, and other destructive phenomena.

Climate Change

Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges faced by societies today. It has significant implications on energy, food, and water security as well as health and safety for countries and people around the world. Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions. The consequences of climate change now include, among others, intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, and catastrophic storms.

Gender Sensitive Approach

As the region embarks on a path of rebuilding, it is critical that the response takes into consideration gender sensitivity. This will be critical in analysing the needs and the response, as all the countries affected have a significant proportion of female-headed households. Nearly half of all households in Jamaica and Grenada — 39 per cent in St Vincent and the Grenadines — are headed by women.

The time is now for the Caribbean region to invest more in renewable energy technologies, as the forecast calls for more catastrophic natural disasters. Additionally, it is time for the region to develop and foster a culture in which a generation of climate-smart youth will lead the fight in matters concerning the environment.

As the impacted countries of the region embark on a process of rebuilding, such an endeavour must include an interrogation of building codes to provide specifications for roof construction. Research indicates that hurricane straps are rather useful in maintaining roofs during a hurricane. As a result, this should be mandatory for all homes across the region.

Given the importance agriculture plays in the region, the time has come for a regional agricultural scheme to assist farmers in the event that they suffer loss from a hurricane or any other natural disaster. Regional governments must think outside the box in order to counter the devastation of natural disasters in the region. The overarching point is Caribbean governments must set aside more resources in their budgets to mitigate against natural disasters, given the dire predictions for the region. The region, for example, has many institutions, such as the Caribbean Examination Council, that can spearhead this campaign throughout the region.

In light of the destructive nature of Hurricane Beryl, there is urgent need for Caricom governments to create a more inclusive and culturally relevant curriculum that resonates with students’ lived experiences, and they need to work assiduously to engender a culture that will support climate-resilient societies, in keeping with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or waykam@yahoo.com