A November to remember

By *Jomo Sanga Thomas

(“Plain Talk” Nov. 8, 2024)

As children, we were reminded that the rainy season began in June. But by November, it’s all over. Not so this year. Those whose job it is to pay attention to the weather may know more, but from all appearances, this November may be one of the wettest we may have experienced in a long time. Fortunately, no lives have been lost, but heavy rains have resulted in floods and landslides across the country. These events continue to place a heavy strain on the nation’s slender resources.

Our Grenada, Trinidad, Martinique and Guadeloupe neighbours also experienced heavy rains and flooding.  The weather systems we are experiencing these days have an out-of-this-world appearance. It’s too soon for us to forget the swiftness with which Hurricane Beryl developed and the devastating wrath with which she engaged Grenada, Jamaica, Mexico, and SVG. Coming as it did on July 1, 2024, climate scientists rarely expected to see a hurricane develop from a tropical storm to a category 4 in less than 48 hours; but Beryl did.

If we are paying attention to what’s occurring across the region, we know that the sister isle of Cuba, strained as it already is by the crushing illegal economic blockade imposed by the US governments for the past six decades, has been walloped by two hurricanes (Oscar and Raphael and an earthquake that measured 6.8.

Many deniers claim that climate change is a hoax. However, we come down on this issue, one thing is certain. Days and nights are hotter than ever. Rain falls in swift, short bursts. Combined, the rain and sun results in a double whammy for our farmers whose produce is scorched or washed away. If things continue on this path, the right to cool air will assume greater urgency and more of our people will need assistance as their homes become compromised if they are not destroyed.

The sad reality is that small island states, least able to cope with the destruction caused by these weather patterns, are often made to carry the resulting burden alone. Bigger, richer countries whose reckless policies create the conditions that allow for drastic changes in our weather routinely refuse to help. Our countries are compelled to borrow more, thus sinking deeper into debt.

These challenges present a real problem for developing countries. We may be akin to “sitting ducks” anticipating the next weather event. There’s nothing we can do to significantly impact the weather. Each year, those who can jet-set across the globe to climate conferences. They make pious pronouncements about Earth’s dangers and then commit to remedial action, which turns out to be empty promises.

However dire the situation becomes, we have a responsibility to ourselves. Our governments must do more than sit back, wait for disaster, and then run around the world hoping that international institutions or governments will lend a helping hand. All communities have to be mobilised to ensure that whatever little we can do is done.

Cuba has an excellent civil defence system. We can learn from it. To protect against loss of life, they move their people out of the way. Since 2013, we not lost lives on that scale to single weather event but property damage runs into the millions of dollars. We have to find ways to build better. In the northern Caribbean, building codes demand concrete roofs. Residents are encouraged to build solid foundations that may withstand the effects of prolonged heavy rains and earth movement.

Rivers, drains, and gutters must be regularly cleaned. Such proactive activities help us avoid flooding. After the recent rains and extensive flooding in Calliaqua, Camillo Gonsalves, the parliamentary representative, promptly pointed an accusatory finger at climate change. But was the change in weather and the heavy rains that caused the flooding? 

The streets in Calliaqua are in disrepair. The government has contracted to fix the roads. Unfortunately, all of them were dug up at once, creating unevenness, blockage from debris, and construction barriers. Anyone with community knowledge of Calliaqua knows that only the area near the pan yard experienced flooding. Why was a large section of Calliaqua, including the police station, overran by flood waters?

The simple truth is that the river was blocked at the bridge next to Rainforest. Massive logs, thousands of plastic bottles and other garbage accumulated over time blocked the water’s path. If the responsible parties had paid attention to regular river clearing, especially at the “chokehold” at the bridge, the chance of such extensive flooding would be non-existent.

Two other points need to be made. In this age of scientific and technological advancements, it is depressingly shocking and disappointing to hear people who ought to know better blaming God’s wrath for natural occurrences and humanity’s failures. Do we still believe God speaks when the thunder rolls and lightning flashes?

The other vexing issue concerns our climate problems, which are explained as Gonsalves’ blight. For one thing, the frequent weather events are not a Vincentian reality. They occur across our region with devastating impact. Are PM Mitchell, Pierre, Mottley, Skerritt, and Rowley also blights on their nations?

The other point about these silly responses is that the damage caused by lousy weather distracts from the other pressing problems, many of which can properly be blamed on Gonsalves and his clansmen: official corruption, bad roads, unemployment, poverty, crime, and increasing hopelessness among the youth. 

In these serious times, we need a clear mind and strong will. Any discussion about the way forward must be grounded in a scientific understanding of our reality and devoid of nonsensical political rhetoric.

*Jomo Sanga Thomas is a lawyer, journalist, social commentator and a former senator and Speaker of the House of Assembly in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.