St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Environment and Climate Action, Dr. Joyelle Clarke’s packed schedule in Antigua and Barbuda continued on Wednesday when she participated in a roundtable discussion on Nature Based Coastal Resilience in Caribbean SIDS.
The discussion, held on the sidelines of the SIDS4 conference, was organised by the Ministry of Climate Resilience, Environment and Renewable Energy of Grenada in partnership with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Fugro and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
“No one country can survive while the rest of the Caribbean disappears, she told the gathering as they contemplated the importance of protecting the Caribbean’s natural resources while enhancing the integrity of its coastal areas.
A statement from the government on the progress of the St. Kitts and Nevis delegation’s activities during the SIDS4 meeting said, “The Minister’s flashtalk highlighted the significance of coastlines as a critical element in the sociocultural and economic experiences of the people of the Caribbean. Minister Clarke went on to further identify that the strong connection between people and coastline increases the intensity of the impacts of coastal erosion on sustainable development.
“From the national perspective, Dr. Clarke shared the Federation’s own experience, referencing data coming out of the Coastal City Risk Profile Assessment undertaken through the Climate and Ocean Risk Vulnerability Index (CORVI) Project, where it was identified that our capital city of Basseterre has the highest coastal vulnerability rates.”
This engagement underscored that sustainable coastal resilience and other nature-based mitigation efforts require more than just verbal pledges, building on the running theme of the government’s engagements during SIDS4.
“There is an intense need for actionable championing on all levels using data and scientific fact as the ultimate guides propelling us forward. The minister’s presentation emphasised the importance of ‘harnessing the power of the collective’ and praised the work of civil society organisations in pushing adaptation efforts and the climate action agenda forward through their volunteerism and passion,” the report continued.
The United Nations International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) concludes today, 30th May, 2024.
The St. Kitts and Nevis delegation was led by Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew.
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