Black Immigrant Daily News

Deux euros et cinq centimes: mercredi matin, tôt à la pompe, quelques heures après le coup de rabot sur les ristournes, Paul Orlowski soulève légèrement son bonnet de laine pour se frotter les yeux. Il est pourtant déjà bien réveillé, mais cela fait plusieurs mois qu’il n’avait pas vu…

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Photo: Young activists demand a Loss and Damage Fund to compensate developing countries for the impacts of climate change at the COP27 UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. (Dominika Zarzycka / NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Small island states and developing countries have successfully placed “Loss and Damage” on the COP27 agenda, but pushback from the US and EU will result in more delays to the creation of a dedicated fund to address impacts from climate-related disasters in vulnerable nations. 

by Marco Lopez

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT, Mon. Nov. 14, 2022

The creation of a climate finance facility to address loss and damage brought on by severe weather that has become more frequent and more forceful as a result of manmade climate change is a key goal for small islands and developing states at this year’s COP27. Those countries have successfully put the issue of loss and damage on the formal agenda of the summit—a step forward in the creation of a new fund focused on compensation for the loss and damage caused by unpredictable and unstoppable catastrophes that are occurring on a more frequent basis across the world.

The United States and European Union (EU), two of the largest traditional greenhouse gas emitters, have, however, pushed for more dialogue without outlining any clear end goal following those discussions. Last year, when COP 26 was held in Glasglow, the two also blocked the proposal to create a dedicated fund for loss and damage and opted for further discussion. The new agenda item has now been agreed upon under certain conditions, with the issues of liability and compensation not being included in the discussion, according to the EU’s chief advisor on international climate relations, Jacob Werksman.

While the EU has welcomed the increased support for addressing the challenge of loss and damage and has said that they are prepared to address the issues with more seriousness, they insisted that the process will not be focused on a single solution—which is largely considered to be the creation of a compensatory facility at this COP. Instead, discussions leading up to 2024 will involve “broad conversations,” Werksman said.

US officials suggested mobilizing funds already given to multilateral banks and facilities such as the Green Climate Fund. Monica Medina, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, suggested that the focus should be “getting some of that funding to where it’s needed rather than trying to create another fund.”

Loss and Damage, however, refers to the destruction caused by the impacts of anthropogenic climate change that cannot be avoided by either mitigation or adaptation, which is largely the focus area of multilateral banks and funds when allocating climate finance. The irreversible loss and damage caused by historic flooding, unprecedented periods of droughts, storms of record strength, fires, and extreme heat have resulted in the displacement of people and destruction of property, and it is being argued that the onus falls on the richest countries, with the largest share in carbon pollution, to provide finance to help those countries recover from the losses linked to climate change.

But whether this funding will come in the form of a compensatory fund, or be seen as reparation or even as a basis for liability, is yet to be determined. Large emitters have pushed back on the creation of the loss and damage fund with fears that any agreement and payment of funds would amount to an admission of guilt and open the door for legal liability.  

Countries on the frontline are experiencing direct impacts and are acutely aware of the need for funds to address the issues of loss and damage, as the traditional loans and grant funding that trickle in following disasters in climate-vulnerable nations become more and more inadequate to execute recovery.  

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Photo: Tenille Hendy – Deputy Chair, Damage Assessments & Needs Analysis Committee

Deputy Chair of the Damage Assessments Committee, Tenille Hendy, says witnessing first-hand the extent to which families have been affected by the storm has been heartwrenching.

by Khaila GentleBELIZE CITY, Mon. Nov. 14, 2022

The Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis Committee has been on the ground working since the day after Hurricane Lisa made landfall. For the past ten days, they have been assessing the levels of damage caused by Lisa countrywide, and according to the Committee’s Deputy Chair, Tenille Hendy, some 3,000 assessments have been completed, with 2,500 of those being in Belize City.

According to Hendy, public officers working with the committee have seen varying levels of damage, especially in Belize City. The assessment scale used includes four levels of damage: Damage 1, which means there was little significant damage; Damage 2, or Minor Damage; Damage 3, or Major Destruction; and Damage 4, or Total Destruction.

“We’re seeing a variety of structures being affected differently … I would say that the wooden structures have taken a beating. We are seeing [structures] sized 10×10 going right up. Those are the structures that have taken a beating—made out of plycem or some combination of wood and concrete or wood itself,” she explained.

Of all the homes assessed in Belize City, Hendy says that 280 of them can be categorized as having undergone Total Destruction, and as assessments continue, that number may increase. The committee also found that many of the homes severely affected or completely destroyed by Lisa were wooden structures with zinc roofs.

“Since we started last week Thursday, every day we have had more than 40 public officers out conducting damage assessments, and they did not rest over the weekend. We also have the help of the BDF. It would be remiss of me to not mention them, because they have also been out with us doing foot patrols as well,” said Hendy.

And while the restless days on foot patrol may be tiring for the officers, witnessing the effects of Hurricane Lisa on families across the country has been emotional, to say the least.

“At 8 Miles, we had a family who thought that their home was safe, and throughout the storm, it just unfolded and they sustained broken limbs, and they don’t have any family, or anybody else, so they’re basically in dire straits. The same in La Democracia, we had somebody just happy that they got a new home, and then the hurricane came and took it away. They are expecting a child, and they are living out of a car,” she said.

“You know we complain about not having water, or electricity in times like these. People don’t have clothes; they don’t have somewhere to stay,” she later added.

According to Hendy, the committee’s database is currently indicating that there are a total of 500 affected families, though this is not the official tally, as assessments are still ongoing.

The public officers who have been conducting assessments, Hendy says, have been stirred by what they’ve seen and have personally wanted to help out affected families, but for the time being, in their capacity as members of the Disaster Assessment and Needs Analysis Committee, the best they can do is pass their data onto the other NEMO committees that are responsible for providing disaster relief.

Along with the assessments, the committee has also been receiving reports from other committees and sectors of Government, all of which will ultimately be compiled to produce the official national report on the destruction caused by Hurricane Lisa.

“So all these different sectors—all of them, educational, government, everybody. As much data as is submitted to us, we include in that report as the national report, because that will be the report ultimately that says what was the impact the country sustained,” Hendy said.

The Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis Committee is one of thirteen special committees operating under the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO). Another such committee is the Relief Supply Management Committee. Last week, in an article dated Monday, November 7, we reported on the assistance that that committee has been providing to the residents of Belize City. In the article, Chairperson Ganesha Smith explained that the committee had already provided some 5,000 food and cleaning supply packages to families.

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ORANJESTAD – Departamento di Obra Publico ta informa pueblo di Aruba en general y specialmente automobilista y peatonnan tocante e construccion

pa pone tubo pa mehora e collector riool entre Costa Linda y Screaming Eagle Restaurant na J.E Irausquin Blvd.

            E construccion pa mehora e collector riool entre Costa Linda y Screaming Eagle Restaurant lo keda cla den dos fase.

            Den e prome fase lo coba den e trottoir pa pone e tubonan for di O Condominiun te cu Screaming Eagle Restaurant , sigui pa e siguiente fase cu ta e construccion pa pone tubo den e median.

            E trabaonan aki a inicia caba dialuna dia 14 di november 2022 y lo tin un duración di 30 dia di trabao. 

            DOW lo mester cera e caminda parcialmente na haltura di e parkinglot na altura di Coco Loco y tambe na e crusada di Screaming Eagle Restaurant pa por haci e crusada y e conexión necesario.  

            Den transcurso di e simannan cu ta bin lo informa riba e progreso di trabao y e fecha nan exacto di ceramento pa e trabao nan lo mester tuma luga.

            En conexion cu esaki Departamento di Obra Publico ta haci un peticion na tur  peaton y manehador di auto pa tene cuenta cu e trabao nan cu ta tuma luga.

            Pa cual ta pidi tur automobilista, hotel  negoshinan y otro usuarionan comprension y disculpa pa cualkier inconveniencia cu e trabao nan por ocasiona.

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