- Dominica to bestow second highest national awards on Canada & Britain
Dominica on Tuesday announced that it would bestow its second highest national award on the United Kingdom and Canada for their role in helping the island move towards becoming the first resilient nation in the world.
Addressing a ceremony for the closure of the Climate Resilience Execution Agency for Dominica (CREAD), Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the achievements would not have been possible without the support of the international and regional partners.
“I thank most profoundly, the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada for their faith in Dominica and their willingness to invest in our ambitious goal to create a safer, more sustainable future for our citizens. We trust that you will continue to work with us along this important journey.
“The United Kingdom and Canada believed in us. They invested their money, time human resources…in assisting us to achieve our vision,” Skerrit said, adding in appreciation of their support and commitment, the government of Dominica shall bestow upon the United Kingdom and Canada, Dominica’s second highest national award, the Sisserou Award of Honour”.
Skerrit said that almost seven years ago, Dominica embarked upon the journey to become the world’s first climate resilient nation following the devastation brought upon the island by Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 storm, on September 18, 2017.
“This perilous situation conditioned us to adopt and pursue a build back better principle to minimise the loss and damage that too often confronts us as a people. Today we reflect on our accomplishments with a deep sense of pride, and hope for continued success in our mission to increase our resilience against the mounting challenges posed by climate change.”
Skerrit said that the staff of CREAD took a compelling vision to transform Dominica into a climate resilient country and turned it into a working model for the world to emulate.
“Indeed, the global community has taken notice. Through our collective efforts, Dominica stands as an example of what can be achieved when countries- when leaders- act decisively to address the persistent challenges of our times.
“CREAD is a proud achievement for all of you who lent your professional expertise, your passion and your commitment to actualising the vision for climate resilience. It is a proud achievement for me personally, as Prime Minister, because it embodied the bold pledge, I made at the United Nations in September 2017, to work from that day forward to shield Dominica from the severity of climate change impacts.”
He acknowledged that while “we have not yet met all our benchmarks for climate resilience… we can all agree that we have developed an impressive template for further action in our continuing fight.”
He said over the years CREAD has become a symbol of resilience and innovation, bringing people, communities and governments together in a united front against climate change.
“When I announced to the world that Dominica would become the first resilient nation in the world, eyebrows were raised, especially here at home. After all, it sounded like an impossible task! But the mission was clear: to rebuild Dominica not just as it was, but stronger, better, and more capable of responding to disaster events and recovering from impact.
“In this regard CREAD has met its mandate. I won’t list the organisation’s many achievements in this forum, but I will note that CREAD has been particularly effective in its development of policy to guide the country’s recovery following disaster,” he said.
He said the assistance provided to build capacity within micro, small and medium sized enterprises; CREAD’s focus on strong communities to improve disaster mitigation; and initiatives to reduce vulnerabilities and exposure of people and property to future shocks, are all measures which will define Dominica’s response systems for years to come.
“Additionally, with CREAD’s assistance we have reviewed our building codes across sectors and can now boast of building back better and ensuring that our roads, bridges, and buildings can withstand the rigors of our changing climate,” Skerrit said, adding CREAD’s impact is undeniable.
“It has captured the attention of the world, with many international bodies and agencies keenly observing and documenting our progress. And we should be proud of this. A small, vulnerable country in the Caribbean is leading the way in environmental awareness and climate action.
“We have not only talked the talk, we have walked the walk. Our most recent move to establish a Sperm Whale Reserve in our waters, contributing to climate change mitigation, speaks loudly of our resolve and our willingness to make bold, groundbreaking moves in this global fight.”
He said as CREAD’s tenure concludes; it is crucial to recognise that the journey towards climate resilience does not end there.
“The spirit and objectives of CREAD will persist, as we transition its activities to various government agencies,” Skerrit said, adding “our journey to full resilience by 2030 must continue.
“We have made much progress in all major sectors, but our gains must be consolidated and fortified. The challenges of climate change are forever present and hurricanes and dry spells are becoming more frequent and severe.”
