Caribbean countries and other Small Island Developing States (SIDs) struggling with climate change may find aid via China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which intends to focus on new cooperations through its green development projects.
Director General of the Department of International Cooperation at China’s Ministry Ecology and Environment, Zhou Guomei, said the BRI’s aim for development includes a special focus on green development and climate change.
“Belt and Road cooperation is the path of openness and development… also green development.
“Over the past decade China has always [pledged] to strengthen national cooperation with governance [placing a focus on] climate change.”
Zhou said China intends to “effectively support participating countries to address global environmental and climate challenges” by implementing the Green Silk Road program and the Belt and Road South South Cooperation on Climate Change.
China has also signed more than 40 cooperation documents with over 30 countries, implemented more than 70 assistance projects and held nearly 100 training activities in the field of environment and climate change, providing training for more than 3,000 environmental management personnel from over 30 countries, helping them to improve capacities for environmental management and climate change.
Guomei said green development has become a defining element of the BRI.
“Cooperation projects in the fields of green infrastructure, green energy, green transportation and green finance, are turning from vision to reality as green has become a defining feature of the Belt and Road Cooperation.”
Guomei was speaking at a media briefing on Monday ahead of the 2023 Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, held in Beijing from October 17-18.
The Forum marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI and will be attended by representatives from 130 countries and over 30 organisations, including Russian president Vladimir Putin.
This year, the Forum will include a session on maritime cooperation and plans for the program’s maritime initiatives and how they can aid developing economies.
Also speaking at the briefing was Zhang Yujun, Director General of the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
The Caribbean has faced increasing challenges on the climate forefront with issues such as sea level rise, increasingly powerful storms and hurricanes, rising temperatures, drought, flooding and more.
According to the UNDRR’s Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction, globally disasters will push an additional 100.7 million people into poverty by 2030 and an estimated 37.6 million more people will be living in conditions of extreme poverty due to the impacts of climate change.
Approximately 75 per cent of extreme weather events are now linked to climate change, primarily fueled by carbon emissions, with women, children and other vulnerable groups most impacted by climate-related disasters.
Caribbean facing drought conditions
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, October’s El Niño event is expected to have significant effects on acute food security in Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to the latest report from the Caribbean Drought and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CDPMN), drought concerns have now emerged, particularly throughout the southeastern Caribbean.
Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines and other Caribbean countries are facing long-term drought conditions by the end of November, with lower-than-usual water levels in large reservoirs, large rivers and underground water sources.
In October, Trinidad and Tobago’s Meteorological Service issued a Hot Spell Alert – Yellow Level, waring of temperatures as high as 34 degrees Celsius with real feel temperatures as high as 44 degrees Celsius.